OADE Armagnac education

Armagnac Guides

Six guides to Armagnac: what it is, how it is made, where it comes from, who makes it, its long history, and why it is so rare.

Six ways to explore

Learn about Armagnac

Start here

What makes a spirit Armagnac: the legal definition, the grapes, how it tastes, and how it compares with Cognac, Scotch, bourbon, and tequila.

Vine to bottle

From early-picked grapes and unsulfited wine to the copper Armagnac still, years in oak, and the bottle.

Explore Gascony

A map of Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac, and how their soils, climate, and history differ.

Producers

The growers, distillers, négociants, and cooperatives behind Armagnac, with an A to Z of well-known houses.

History

From the 1310 text the BNIA cites as Armagnac’s first record to Dutch trade, phylloxera, and the 1936 appellation.

Rarity

How much Armagnac is made and aging each year, what limits supply, and how it compares with Scotch, bourbon, and tequila.