MOSCOW, 6-7 Oct 2012. For a couple of days extremely rainy and windy Moscow weather was overrun by fine food and spirits intake. Major cognac brands are doing their best to reinvent themselves in Russia during the Taste of Moscow gastronomic festival that took place last weekend 6-7 of October in the Clumba restaurant situated in Moscow’s central location. Cognac has long been considered a “dead” category used mostly for New Year gifting for your dentist (VSOP, not higher) or an official-to-bribe (XO or higher, depending on the rank and the effect needed). With spirits market growing rapidly cognac producers realize they need to address the trend-setters and opinion leaders and bring the new taste of cognac to younger audiences.

Martell cognac was the central activator during this two-day competition of the star chefs from Moscow restaurants with 16 chefs taking part in the event plus the Chateau de Chanteloup’s (historic and beautiful Martell family Bretagne-style guesthouse) chef Pascal Nebou playing with the Martell Pure Gourmet platform in front of the fancy Moscow public. Pairing fine food and cognac was the leitmotif of the whole festival, no other alcohol was served during the competition. Even wine options were eliminated making cognac the only pairing choice.

Russians tend to perceive cognac in a very stereotypical way – fireplace, own house outside Moscow, bourgeois-style atmosphere, warming up the glass with your hand – all of these are bad companions for promoting the brand – demanding special surroundings and occasion to drink the French spirit. Digestive drink perception was the main obstacle Martell wanted to break during the event. While trendy public is already used to fine dining, cognac is still not a part of it. The leading Cognac houses are doing their best to include their drinks into the fine food concept, Hennessy pouring the most budgets on advertising. Considering the approaching advertising ban, this might be the first swift (meaning the “martinet” bird from Martell’s logo) in the new wave of gastronomic promotional activities connected with cognac.

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