Cognac is one of the drinks du jour with producers saying sales have never been stronger.
Sales figures for 2021 suggest new grape plantings will be needed soon as the French region of Charente struggles to keep up with demand, the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac says.
"The demand for Cognac has never been so strong in our markets," says Christophe Veral, president of the association.
"Cognac remains marked by a very strong momentum," Veral said. "We are recording very good shipment results in 2021.
"We end the year with an increase of +16.2% in volume and +30.9% in value compared to 2020.
"This result in value stems from a relative growth of old qualities and a good valuation of Cognac on its buoyant markets.
"Demand for Cognac has never been as strong on our markets as this year. Despite the uncertainties related to weather conditions, the 2021 harvest allows us to support the continuation of our growth, while all the available data lead us to be reasonably optimistic for the year 2022."
Figures show that 20 years ago the sector shipped 117 million bottles per year worldwide but 2021 figures were close to 230 million, Vitisphere reported.
There are plans to exceed the milestone of 350 million bottles by 2035 as Cognac is increasingly used in high-end cocktails as well as a stand-alone drink.
In other good news for Cognac, the Michelin Guide France will unveil its 2022 edition on March 22 from the Cognac region.
"A benchmark of French excellence, and a global jewel in terms of spirits, Cognac and the Charente region will host the best of French gastronomy talent:" the association said in a statement.
The BNIC was founded in 1946 to promote the drinks of the region.
