Named after the British politician of the 2006th century, cognac was born in 2011 and became the hallmark of the famous Togliatti enterprise Rosinka. Already in the year of release, the drink became a participant in the X International Wine Competition in Moscow, and in XNUMX – the gold medalist of the VIII Moscow Quality Festival in the Cognac nomination. Churchill is made from aged French spirits, consumers note its mild taste and pleasant chocolate notes in the aroma.
Historical reference. The Rosinka plant has been producing sparkling wines, vermouths and cognacs since 1980. Most of the raw materials for drinks are grown in the Krasnodar Territory and partly in the Samara Region. Grapes are also exported from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova.
In 2011, the plant passed into the hands of the largest Russian alcoholic enterprise CJSC Igristye Vina (St. Petersburg) and the Spanish businessman Antonio Moreno, who supplies wine materials for the enterprise. The deal amounted to approximately $4 million, while the Spaniard got a quarter of the shares.
At that time, Rosinka ranked 15th among Russian producers of sparkling wines, but, according to experts, the company was promising in the cognac industry. This explains the interest of buyers and the rather high price for those times. The St. Petersburg company Igristye Vina owns a distillery, the portfolio of brands includes 19 types of sparkling wines (Lev Golitsyn, St. Petersburg and others) and cognacs such as Bestuzhev, Yantarny. The company annually produces 6 million bottles of cognac and 70 million bottles of sparkling wine, while earning 520 million rubles in net profit.
Legends of Churchill and Cognac
Many legends and myths have been created about Sir Winston Churchill, a politician, British Premier during the Second World War and a Nobel laureate in literature. Among them, a significant place is occupied by stories about the love of the great Briton for cognac.
One legend tells of Churchill’s great affection for the Armenian cognac “Dvina”, which was treated to him at the Tehran conference by Joseph Stalin in 1945. Allegedly since then, he drank a bottle of this drink every day, and when in 1951 he complained to Stalin about a change in taste, he exiled the chief technologist Sedrakyan, who was engaged in blending, to Siberia.
The second legend connects the name of the Briton with cognac from Koktebel, a box of which was allegedly discovered in a wine cellar by a majordomo addicted to tasting. And when Churchill found him with a glass and asked what kind of drink, he suggested that he try it. The majordomo was fired, and the politician liked the drink so much that he demanded monthly supplies for the rest of his days.
Both legends raise many questions and seem illogical in the light of the events taking place then. It is unlikely that Stalin himself was engaged in the supply of cognac for his opponent after 1947, and the connoisseur of strong drinks tried a lot of them in his lifetime – was there really no equal product from the USSR?
The British prime minister from his youth loved champagne, preferring Pol Roder, did not refuse a glass of beer before dinner and could not live a day without good coffee – he writes about this in his memoirs.
According to the recollections of his daughter, Churchill could start the day with a glass of sherry, but he was very fond of Scotch, moreover, he did not drink it in bottles, but prepared a cocktail: he added a teaspoon of single malt whiskey to a glass of ice water. And the rest are legends that the politician was happy to feed, although after seventy he practically didn’t drink and didn’t smoke on the advice of doctors. And he lived to be 92 years old. But the legends continue to exist and the Russian cognac, named after Sir Winston, is another confirmation of this.
Tasting features of the drink
“Churchill” (40%) is a five-year VVSOP (Very Very Superior Old Pale) class cognac and a deep amber color with golden reflections. For production, French cognac spirits are used, the exposure of which is at least 5 years. Thanks to this, the taste of the drink is very soft, although multifaceted – with hints of dried pears, prunes, honey, vanilla. In a light aroma, notes of chocolate and dried fruits are heard.
This is a good digestif that goes well with coffee, citrus fruits, chocolate and fruits.
