Cognac News: What the English-Language Press Is Saying, October 2026

Growers win their contract case against Sazerac

The Spirits Business reports that the commercial court in Angoulême has ordered Sazerac de Segonzac, the French subsidiary of the American group Sazerac Company, to carry out its supply contracts as agreed. The case concerns 45 cognac grape growers whose multi-year contracts were terminated in January 2026. The decision was announced by the growers’ union, the UGVC, chaired by Julien Massé.

According to the article, Sazerac is expected to appeal and did not reply to a request for comment. The magazine places the dispute in the context of the downturn in cognac, linked in part to US tariffs and Chinese anti-dumping duties.

Our view: A multi-year contract is what lets a grower plan and invest, so it is reassuring to see a court take it seriously. With an appeal expected, the matter is probably not closed.

Source: The Spirits Business

Fanny Fougerat returns to the UK market

The single-estate house Fanny Fougerat is back in the United Kingdom, The Spirits Business reports. It has appointed Double Six Drinks, a Yorkshire producer and distributor founded in 2020, as its exclusive distributor. Double Six will concentrate on premium bars and restaurants and on specialist retailers.

Fanny Fougerat, a fifth-generation distiller, founded her house in 2013 and names her cognacs after plants and trees. The range covered by the deal includes a VSOP, an XO and an Extra Old, plus limited single cask and vintage bottlings. The article describes them as unblended and bottled without chill filtration or additives. The brand first reached the UK in 2017 through another distributor.

Our view: This is the kind of news we like: a grower-distiller with a clear identity finding a route to curious drinkers abroad. Unblended, single-estate cognacs are a good way to learn what the spirit tastes like before the blender’s art comes in.

Source: The Spirits Business

Forbes looks at how Hennessy stays in pop culture

In Forbes, Lela London examines how Hennessy keeps its place in popular culture. She covers its long association with hip-hop and its current work with artists such as Bad Bunny, Tems, Jackson Wang and the pianist Lang Lang, each linked to a different part of the range, from VS and VSOP to XO and Paradis.

The article also covers the house’s bottled cocktails for the US market, among them the Henny-Rita, sold in 375ml bottles at $15.99. It recalls the category’s hard 2025, when cognac exports fell 15% by volume and 24% by value. It adds that Hennessy began its 2026 harvest on 20 August.

Our view: Celebrity partnerships and ready-to-serve cocktails may bring new drinkers to the category, and that benefits everyone in the region. We hope some of them go on to discover what lies beyond the famous labels.

Source: Forbes

Martell names Prince Gyasi as creative partner

Hypebeast reports that Maison Martell has named the Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi as its new creative partner. The page is marked as presented by Maison Martell. The collaboration opens with a film conceived by Gyasi and directed by TJ Sawyerr, shot at the Château de Chanteloup, Martell’s estate.

The film uses vivid colour, Ghanaian pushcarts and an Afrobeats soundtrack to set up a dialogue between Accra and Cognac. Gyasi has grapheme-colour synaesthesia, meaning he associates letters, numbers and names with colours, and this shapes his visual approach. Further films, cultural experiences and house initiatives are planned, with no dates given.

Our view: The images are striking, and it is good to see Cognac in dialogue with Accra. Still, a film tells us nothing about what is in the glass, and that is where a house is finally judged.

Source: Hypebeast

This review summarises articles published by other media; the links lead to the original sources.