La Rochelle and the Hennessy Cognac House

La Rochelle and the Hennessy Cognac House

You depart from the port of La Rochelle and drive to the city center, your guide will take you to the streets of this charming port city. Then you will have a short free time to enjoy the shops and cafés alongside the port by yourself. Re-embark your coach and transfer to Cognac, home of the world famous brandy and famous for its precious amber-colored eau de vie. Cognac is also a pretty little town located on the Charente river banks, with an old 13th century château where French King François 1st was born and is now the property of the Baron Ostard and the Cordeliers Convent which houses the Hennessy House. Lunch will be served at a local gastronomic restaurant upon arrival in Cognac. You will visit one of the world's famous houses of Cognac, Hennessy, where you will board the Hennessy river boat for the Charente river crossing in order to reach the Hennessy premises. From there you will visit the cellars, discover the secrets of the swan’s neck-shaped alembic still in use to distill cognac. After being also explained the oak cask ageing process and the art of blending, your visit will conclude with a tasting of some of the fine Hennessy liquors. After this visit you drive back through the charming Aquitane countryside to the port of La Rochelle.

Some Hennessy history: The Irish founder, Richard Hennessy was so charmed by the region that he established a trading firm in the town of Cognac in 1765. Under his son, James, the company expanded rapidly and took the name it still has today: Jas Hennessy & Co. Since then, eight generations of Hennessy have run this outstanding company, traveling the world and building the brand’s universal reputation. Hennessy has always had an international outlook. At the start it shipped cognacs to its natural markets in Ireland and Great Britain. London was the heart of the brand’s sales strategy for nearly two centuries. The British capital was a springboard for shipments to distant markets such as Australia and America and, particularly from 1794 onwards, New York. In the last quarter of the 19th century, the company began bottling on a large scale and became the first cognac brand. Today, Hennessy sells more than 40 million bottles, and is part of LVMH, the world’s top luxury and prestige group, and is acting as an ambassador for the French concept of gracious living.

Notes: A minimum participation is required to operate all Yachting Land Adventures and some have limited capacity. All adventures and prices in the SeaDream Yachting Land Adventures program are subject to change.

Port: La Rochelle

Duration: 7.5 hours

Current Price: 299 USD