page_title: Armagnac
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Armagnac / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Vignoble d'Armagnac, entre Landes et Gers, France
context_page_description: Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of cognac, which is made only from ugni blanc grapes. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac.
  Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits, but the overall volume of production is far smaller than cognac production and therefore is less known outside Europe. In addition, it is for the most part made and sold by small producers, whereas cognac production is dominated by big-name brands, especially Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell, and Rémy Martin.
context_section_description: The Armagnac region lies between the Adour and Garonne rivers in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The region was granted AOC status in 1936. The official production area is divided into three districts that lie in the departements of Gers, Landes, and Lot-et-Garonne. The region contains 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of grape-producing vines. The Fallières Decree of 25 May 1909 describes the three districts:
  Bas-Armagnac
  Armagnac-Ténarèze
  Haut-Armagnac
  Each of these areas is controlled by separate AOC regulations. The newer appellation Blanche d'Armagnac was established to allow the production and export of clear, white brandies that are unaged.
caption: Vineyards in the Armagnac region near Landes and Gers
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