COGNAC

You may well use this famous double-distilled brandy to set light to your pudding. It first appeared in around 1549 in a town in the Charente region of south-western France. Famous houses include Martell Cognac (est. 1715), Rémy Martin (1724) and Hennessy (1765).

There are around 215,000 acres of vineyards in the Cognac area, and tours of the houses are a popular aspect of tourism, along with the beaches of La Grande Côte between Royan and La Rochelle, that are around an hour’s drive away.

“The vineyards of the Grand Champagne [where grapes for Cognac are grown] are reminiscent of the rolling hills of Tuscany,” says Tania Simpson of Leggett Immobilier.

“Bourg-Charente, with its majestic view of the Grand Marnier chateau, is another favourite spot. Because it is also home to Grey Goose vodka, the region is also known as Spirits Valley.”

She says homes to turn into gîtes and Airbnb rentals are popular, and the property market in Cognac has been extremely buoyant this year.

“This is the most expensive part of the Charente, due to proximity to fashionable Bordeaux and popularity with Parisians, for whom it’s a two-and-ahalf-hour train ride to Angoulême. Expect to pay €300,000 to €500,000 for a three-bedroom property.”

A former home of the Hennessy family is currently for sale: an elegant six-bedroom Charentaise house in the Grand Champagne region, for €766,000, through Leggett.

TASTE OF HISTORYThe former home of the Hennessy family, above, €766,000 with Leggett; an eight-bedroom house near Cognac, €780,000, with Christie’s International Real Estate, left