Armagnac Academies returns to New York

A second event in the educational Armagnac Academies series is to take place in New York, following an over-subscribed session in 2015.

The Armagnac Academies concept was founded in 2013 to address poor knowledge in the industry

Organised by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l’Armagnac (BNIA), the official Armagnac office based in Gascony, Armagnac Academies is a day-long programme comprising lectures and tastings.

The course was initially designed to counter poor Armagnac knowledge in the industry. Content spans the product’s history, producers, production zones, soil type, permitted grape varieties, wine-making, distillation methods, ageing and oak, cellars, nomenclature and more.

Participants will be able to taste distillates from the main grapes straight from the alembic to demonstrate the influence varietals have on the category.

Amanda Garnham, from the BNIA in France will present the Academy alongside May Matta-Aliah, the BNIA’s New York Armagnac Ambassador.

Jillian Vose, from the acclaimed Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, is a guest speaker.

The day concludes with a 100-question, multiple-choice exam. Successful candidates will earn an official BNIA diploma issues from France. Marks are awarded as follows: Pass 50-70, Credit 71-90, Distinction <90.

The highest scoring student will win a trip to the Armagnac region to witness the Armagnac distillation first hand.

Armagnac Academies will take place on Tuesday 8 March at Astor Center, 399 Lafayette Street in central New York.

The Armagnac Academies concept was first announced in 2013, with the inaugural event taking place in London. The most recent was held in Guanghzhou, China, in November 2014. The BNIA says a date for a London event will be announced soon.

For further details, see armagnac-academy-nyc.com.