Cognac in the context of Forest of Tronçais

Grande Champagne is a French district, called a cru, known for its cognac. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34,703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac, which can be marked as Grande Champagne or Grande Fine Champagne. At its heart is the town of Segonzac, in the Département of Charente. Grande Champagne is situated entirely in this département.

Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with caramel colouring to imitate the effect of ageing, and some are produced using a combination of ageing and colouring. Varieties of wine brandy can be found across the winemaking world. Among the most renowned are Cognac and Armagnac from southwestern France.

In a broader sense, the term brandy also denotes liquors obtained from the distillation of pomace (yielding pomace brandy), or mash or wine of any other fruit (fruit brandy). These products are also called eau de vie (literally "water of life" in French).

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton (founded in 1854) with Moët Hennessy, which had been established by the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon (founded in 1743) and the cognac producer Hennessy (founded in 1765). In April 2023, LVMH became the first European company to surpass a valuation of $500 billion. In 2023, the company was ranked 47th in the Forbes Global 2000.

LVMH controls around 60 subsidiaries that manage 75 luxury brands. In addition to Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy, LVMH's portfolio includes Christian Dior SE, Givenchy, Fendi, Celine, Kenzo, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Loewe, TAG Heuer, Marc Jacobs, Sephora and Loro Piana. The subsidiaries are often managed independently, under the umbrellas of six branches: Fashion Group, Wines and Spirits, Perfumes and Cosmetics, Watches and Jewelry, Selective Distribution, and Other Activities. LVMH owns Les Echos-Le Parisien Group, its media subsidiary. The wine estate of Château d'Yquem, whose origins date back to 1593, is under LVMH ownership. Bernard Arnault is the chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of LVMH, making him one of the richest people in the world as of 2023 and 2024.

Armagnac (US: /ˌɑːrmənˈjæk, ˌɑːrmɑːnˈjɑːk/, French: [aʁmaɲak] ) is a brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills. This is in contrast to the pot stills used in the production of Cognac, which is made predominantly from Ugni blanc grapes. The resulting spirit is aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA).

Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits. Because the overall volume of production is far smaller than Cognac production, the brandy is less known outside Europe. In addition, for the most part it is made and sold by small producers, whereas Cognac production is dominated by big-name brands, especially Courvoisier (owned by Campari Group), Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin (Rémy Cointreau).

Segonzac (French pronunciation: [səɡɔ̃zak]) is a commune within the Charente department of southwestern France, in the Cognac area. It is the heart of the "Grande Champagne" grape-cultivating region of the cognaçais, which produces the finest cognac and Pineau des Charentes. There's also a large church and local fitness facilities such as a public swimming-pool, a track and a football pitch. The Château de Saint-Martial is situated nearby.