The cognac market - France

Cognac is produced in an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) area, delimited by decree in 1909. The vineyards dedicated to the production of six different crus cover 75,000 hectares, extending over Charente-Maritime, a large part of Charente, and a few communes in Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres. This eau-de-vie belongs to the category of wines and spirits, and is consumed as an aperitif or digestif in France. The cognac market in France is concentrated, with a small number of players. Alongside the major houses, these players include winegrowers, trading houses, cooperatives and distillers, both professional and "de cru". For industry players, the cognac market represents steadily rising sales, with average annual growth of 7.6% between 2015 and 2019. The market declined in 2020 due to the health crisis, but will return to pre-crisis levels by 2021. Most French production is exported internationally (notably to the United States, China and Singapore). The market is highly concentrated, with four companies sharing 80% of the global market (Henessy with LVMH, Rémy Martin with Rémy Cointreau, Martell with Pernod-Ricard, Courvoisier with Fortune Brands). But competition is increasingly fierce on international markets, and other types of brandy, such as armagnac and calvados, are also trying to export to the USA and Asia. The low consumption in France can be explained in part by the way people view cognac: a drink consumed mainly in the business world. In the United States, cognac enjoys a more "trendy" image, and is available in the country's bars and nightclubs.finally, in China, cognac is considered a beverage mainly consumed at social events (receptions) or social gatherings (nightclubs and bars). The trend is towards "premiumization" of products, with the aim of standing out from the crowd, with bottles of cognac selling at ever-increasing unit prices. In addition, growers are keen to improve their relationship with the environment, for example, by limiting their use of pesticides and/or using new, "greener" cultivation techniques.