Pineau des Charentes is a Sweet and reasonably strong "Vin de Liqueur" from the Charente (Cognac) region of western France. It is made by adding Cognac brandy from the previous year's distillation (or earlier) to fresh Grape must from the current Vintage. By law, the must must be freshly harvested and, although it may have undergone partial Fermentation, its sugar content at the time of "Mutage" (when the brandy is added) must be greater than 170 g per litre. The Cognac itself must have an Alcohol content of at least 60 % and must have been kept in casks before being used.
The resulting blend has an alcoholic strength of 16-22 % and a sugar content of at least 125 g/l. Any fermentation will have been stopped by the high alcohol content and, as the must remains essentially unfermented, it retains all its "grape" aromas and - ideally - the Varietal characteristics of the grapes used, which develop over time. All Pineau des Charentes is cellar-aged, although this varies according to the type of Pineau produced. White pineau - the most common - must spend at least 18 months in the cellar, 12 months of which are spent in oak barrels.
Ugni blanc is a grape variety originating from Italy. It produces a variety of grape specially used for the elaboration of wine. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by large bunches and small to medium sized grapes. Ugni blanc can be found in many vineyards: South West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Provence & Corsica, Rhone valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Armagnac, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
sweet wines from the region of Pineau des Charentes go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of monkfish tagine, chicken with merguez and tomatoes or grandma melanie's cassoulet.
