France
Cognac PDO is the world's most prestigious brandy, double-distilled from white wine around the town of Cognac and aged in French oak. Strict rules govern grapes, stills and ageing, with grades from VS to XO marking how long it has rested.
The imitation is any generic ‘brandy’ or ‘cognac-style’ spirit made elsewhere. Only grape brandy from the Cognac region, distilled and aged to the rules, may carry the name.
