Normandin-Mercier Pineau des Charentes Blanc (750ml)

A specialty of the Cognac region, Pineau des Charentes is a vin de liqueur made by blending fresh grape juice with young Cognac, a fortification that arrests fermentation before the grape sugars can turn to alcohol. This white expression comes from Cognac Normandin-Mercier, a producer working in the Charentes, and belongs firmly to that regional tradition where the aperitif and the Cognac house are one and the same.

The style tends toward the softly sweet and lightly fortified, with the grape character kept forward and the Cognac lending backbone and a touch of warmth. Serve it chilled as an aperitif, which is how it is most often enjoyed in its home region, or pour it alongside melon, foie gras, or a fruit-driven dessert.