Brandy is mostly produced from Ugni Blanc grape sort (about 90-98% of the Cognac vineyards are planted with Ugni Blanc, the rest are Folle Blanche and Colombard). The wine from these grapes reaches a very low alcohol level (7-9 degrees) while retaining high acidity. Wines of this sort are ideal for distillation, and this is a good start for high quality cognac and brandy production. The grape harvest usually begins in this region around the 3rd or 4th week in September. The majority of grapes are harvested mechanically (still several well known producers harvest at least part of their vineyards manually), than pressed and fermented. more