152 Million Cognac bottles sold in 2006 according to last statistics, representing 60% of French spirit exports for this year. And a jump of 7.2% compared to 2005.

According to the figures revealed by the Syndicat National des Exportateurs de Vins et Spiritueux, 2006 is the 3d best year for Cognac exports after 1989 (157 Million bottles) and 1990 (153 Million). Champagne has sold 321 Million bottles, for an amount of only 2.41 Billion Euros, but the Cognac sales represent 1.5 Billion Euros. For some obscure reason, all the commentators ritually translate each year these figures into a number of Airbus: the Cognac exports would thus be equivalent in 2006 to 25 Airbus…  I will definitely translate these figures one day into Chanel N°5 or Margaux bottles:  these aeronautical equivalences do not make me dream at all… Well iI suppose I missed something in the subconscious of the stock-brokers and  exporters
Another important point: the sales grow more in value than in volume,this means that the “higher qualities” of Cognacs progress more rapidly. Cognac merchants are all the more so happy as exports represents more than 95% of the global sales.

Cognacs progress on all liquid fronts. Europe currently accounts for 37.8% of the sales, the group United States - Canada - Mexico for 36.7% and Far East for 23%. In the Far East, moreover, the demand has also increased by 23% this year.As Napoleon Bonaparte said (what a vision at this time): “When China wakes, it will shake the world.” China not only wakes up, it turns out to be very thirsty… While on the other side of the World the American rappers do not seem tired at all of the dance floor... which also  tends to make them thirsty apparently. Immense flows of Cognac disappear in multicoloured throats . After the stupors and tremors caused a few years ago by the sudden rise and fall of Japanese market, this year, Cognac is shivering with a new eastern excitement.

My friendly advice: if you really wish to taste Cognacs, Hurry up, the stocks are vanishing at high speed...

Sources of figures : BNIC+ Charente LIbre + Euroinvestor+Ubifrance