Cognac keeps getting better over time—and in more ways than one.
In addition to being aged to perfection, the famed French spirit continues to see its popularity grow with American consumers each year. In fact, Cognac has had an amazing run recently, as revealed in a recent report from the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC). For five straight years, worldwide Cognac exports have steadily climbed, year-over-year, driven by a growing demand by North American consumers.
According to the report, over 211 million bottles of Cognac have been shipped in the last five years, with the top year—so far—being 2018-2019. This is good news, and something we’ve been watching for a while here at Breakthru. We’ve long been keen on craft Cognac, and entries from the Cognac category have long been a mainstay of our luxury portfolio. Is your business positioned to deliver on consumer demand for this historic spirit? When you place your next Cognac order, consider growth. Namely, the growth in demand, and the category’s growing reputation for quality among consumers.
It Was A Very Good Year
In the past five years, 94.3 million bottles of Cognac came to the United States. Overall, exports to North America are up 8.8% over the last five years, with the lion’s share coming to America. The biggest winners in the category are VS and VSOP, both of which offer consumers luxury at many different price points.
Part of the enduring appeal of Cognac among American consumers, year-in and year-out, is the dependable quality of the spirit. Consumers in the know understand that Cognac is a regional agricultural product, with strict rules put in place to make sure that any spirit calling itself Cognac is produced to the highest standards of quality.
New Growth
To maintain the trusted quality of Cognac, the BNIC announced a recent plan to plant an additional 10,000 hectares of farmland over the next three years, ensuring that producers will be able to meet the increasing demand for Cognac without jeopardizing the spirit’s impeccable reputation among consumers. These new vines will bring the appellations growing land to 86,000 hectares, and will complement current vineyard renewal strategies already underway, according to the BNIC.
Cognac is a perennial favorite among American consumers, one which we are proud to bring to our businesses. Talk to your Breakthru Sales Consultant about how your business can turn consumer demand for Cognac into a major win this year, and in the years to come.