Pineau des Charentes is a liqueur wine made by blending grape must and Cognac brandy distilled at least the previous year. If its origin is somewhat uncertain, legend has it that it is the result of chance. A winegrower would have inadvertently poured grape must into a barrel containing Cognac brandy. It is only many years later that he would have discovered a clear and delicious elixir. Pineau des Charentes was born.
In 1945, it became the first French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) liqueur wine. The appellation area extends over the Cognac vineyards and covers mainly the Charente-Maritime and Charente regions, as well as a few communes in the Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres. To receive the AOC, grape must and Cognac brandy must come from the same vineyard.
