Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Azerbaijan's Tovuz and French Cognac cities became twin cities following a protocol signed by Head of Tovuz Executive Authority Tofig Zeynalov and Cognac Mayor Michel Gourinchas.

Addressing a press conference following the signing ceremony, Zeynalov said Tovuz has very favorable conditions for wine growing and viticulture.

"We are looking forward to building mutually beneficial cooperation with Cognac on this front," he said, adding that the area for grape plantations in the city is more than 600 hectares.

Gourinchas, in turn, said there are facilities producing cognac in several European countries. He said, the protocol would contribute to bring the people of the two countries closer to each other. He added that Cognac is also the twin sister of Denison in the U.S., Königswinter in Germany and Valdepeñas in Spain.

Winemaking is one of the popular fields of Tovuz industry. The history of wine production in Tovuz dates back to 7th century and according to the archaeological findings, which included vessels for wine storage and remains of tartaric acid, the winemaking was common in the Tovuz and Ganja region during early stages of social development.

Located in the western part of Azerbaijan on the border with Georgia and Armenia, Tovuz enjoys a peculiar nature. Mountainous areas are the main landscape of the region. Thick forests spread across most of the region's territory which is covered by various types of trees and shrubs.

Cognac, a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France has given its name to one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau de vie. Drinks must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly-defined regulations to be granted the name Cognac.

There are six vineyard areas around Cognac, all of which are within the Appellation Controlee for Cognac. They are considered to vary in quality from the best growth area of "Grande Champagne" (it has nothing to do with the Champagne wine region in NE France), through "Petite Champagne" then "Borderies", "Fins Bois", "Bon Bois" and finally "Bois Ordinaire".