You may remember our report last year about CognacExpo – the largest cognac exhibition held outside of France (and, we believe, the world). Well, the tradition continues, with the third CognacExpo to be held in Bergen, Norway, on the 18 October 2014.

CognacExpo was created by Nils Henriksen and Kjetil Hansen, while sharing a bottle of Cognac back in 2011. Discussing their passion, they were keen to learn more about their favorite tipple and to share their findings with other enthusiasts as well.

Beyond that, as we know, Norway has deep-seated roots with cognac, not to mention being an important export market for our beloved product. Add to this the fact that many great cognac houses like Braastad, Bache-Gabrielsen or Baron Otard were founded by winemakers from the region, not to forget that two per cent of the 100 million litres of cognac sold annually are bought in Norway. Thus, you begin to realize exactly why this knowledge and learning event has proved to be such an outstanding success.
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A venue for learning, tasting and exchanges
So what can be expected from this year’s event?
Well, as in previous years it’s a one-day affair, and is designed to be a ‘venue for learning, tasting and exchanges’ about everything to do with cognac. Once again, many of the top cognac houses are exhibiting – including De Luze, AE Dor, Delamain and Leyrat Cognac – more than 30 in total.

Master Classes by different Cognac houses
The master classes are all about learning more about the making, tasting and purchasing of cognacs, and each is hosted by a different cognac producer.
The program is as follows:
13:00 – Doors open
13:30 – Official opening
14:00 – Master class Ch. Montifaud and LEYRAT Cognac
15:30 – Master class Delamain and De Luze Cognac
17:00 – Master class Martell and AE Dor Cognac
18:10 – Best in show awards
18:45 – Master class Kim Birkedal Hartman
As an addition, there is also an ‘Extreme Master class’ being held the day before the expo, on October 17th, for a further learning opportunity.

One thing we’ve noticed about this year’s show is that it’s now possible to become an Associate Member of CognacExpo. And we love the way they’ve graded the levels of membership – a VSOP member, XO member or a Vintage member… It’s now possible to also donate to the cause of CognacExpo, plus a fun quiz and video of last year’s event accessible through the website CognacExpo.
CognacExpo remains in the same location as last year – the Grande Selskapslokale in Bergan. We’re sure it will be even more of a success than in the previous two years – and long may it continue.
Sources: www.cognacexpo.no