cognac

photo of a cognac bottle In France, the labelling of cognac is regulated by the Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac. In the Bureau's way of counting cognac's age, year zero begins on April 1 of the year after the grapes were grown; year one begins on April 1 of the year after that, and so on. For a cognac to be labeled Three Star, the youngest cognac in the blend must be at least one year old. To be labeled V.S.O.P., it must be at least four years old.

The United States and the United Kingdom reckon the age of cognac in the same way they do human birthdays. In the United States, a three-star cognac must be at least two years old. In the United Kingdom, a three-star must be at least three years old and (since 1955) a “V.O.,” “V.S.O.P.,” or “Réserve” is at least four years old and “Extra,” “Napoléon,” or “Vielle Réserve” is at least five.

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