When we were young, we watched Hong Kong movies. Rich people often drank XO wine, but only a little, just a sip.
At that time, I was impressed that drinking XO wine was a symbol of the status of the rich and a noble status.
XO wines, such as remy martin XO, Martell XO and Hennessy XO, always make people feel full of mystery.
Until now, for most people in China, XO wine is still the same. I have heard its name and seen its appearance, but I have never tasted it.
Except Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, only Cantonese and Fujian people drink XO wine at the banquet table in China. remy martin XO and Martell XO are estimated to be close to Hong Kong and influenced by Hong Kong culture.
In other parts of China, XO wine appears in nightclubs in addition to gifts.
Remy martin XO, Martell XO and Hennessy XO are the three XO wine giants in bars and towns. In nightclubs, it often appears as a set meal, such as 6 bottles of Martell XO, 10 bottles of mineral water, a fruit bowl, and so on.
In a word, the appearance of XO wine is inseparable from the taste of luxury.
Now, let's unveil it.
Remy martin XO, Martell XO and Hennessy XO are all kinds of brandy, which is what we often call foreign wine.
Cognac, to be exact, because they are all produced in the cognac area of France.
Maybe you're a stranger to cognac, but Zheng Xiaota, I'll give you another place name, and you'll probably know it soon. Bordeaux, France, cognac is above Bordeaux (north).
Remy martin XO and Martell XO, like French Lafite, are almost the same distance.
Red and black whiskies are all made of barley, but brandy is different. Grapes are used as raw materials, which is more like an upgraded version of white wine.
The base wine of brandy is mainly brewed by the grape variety Baiyuni Blanc, and then double distilled by a copper distiller, then put into the oak barrels of Chen Fang for many years, and then blended.
So, the next time you have dinner with Cantonese and Fujian people, you can evaluate XO wine like this.
"In remy martin XO and Martell XO wines, you can smell a little floral and fruity, as well as spices and smoky smells brought by oak barrel aging."
So the comments are in place.
Usually friends have dinner and occasionally talk about brandy, most people will be curious.
"Zheng Xiaota, XO exactly mean? Remy martin XO, Martell XO, how come there are XOs? "
I looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"
The friend shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be a brand, and it won't be the name of the place of origin. Is XO a brewing material? Or a way to make wine? Or a product line? "
Neither!
In fact, XO is a grade, which is stipulated by the French brandy law.
XO stands for the number of years brandy has been aged in oak barrels.
XO is the abbreviation of "Extra Old", which means that the liquor used in this bottle of XO wine has been stored in oak barrels for at least ten years. Before 20 18, the original requirement was at least six years.
(See "Fujian people who love brandy, tell you about" VS, VSOP, XO ").
For example, remy martin XO wine is a mixture of hundreds of brandies, but the aging time of each wine in oak barrels is at least ten years, otherwise, it cannot be labeled as "XO".
In other words, every drop of remy martin XO wine you drink has been aged in oak barrels for at least 10 years, so it is not unreasonable that XO wine is expensive.
Of course, in actual production, the XO cocktail of these top brandies will last longer, and some even reach 60 or 70 years.
Really, as Chinese wine is advertised, it is made of decades-old wine.
Here, I want to say a few words quietly. Many so-called 30-year-old and 50-year-old liquors in China are just a drop or two of real 30-year-old and 50-year-old liquors, and then they are transformed into aged liquors with mellow flavor for decades.
What you said is not authentic. People come up with the rules in black and white, saying that this is legal, it is indeed legal, and industry protectionism!
Brandy, including scotch whisky, is different from distilled liquor of the same height. All their liquors must reach this age, which is also stipulated by French law.
Even if a drop of wine doesn't reach 10 year, you can't mark XO, or you will be sued!
Under such harsh requirements (more requirements), XO has become the top French cognac, while remy martin XO, Martell XO and Hennessy XO are all top brands.
So it is not surprising that they are sought after by the rich in Hong Kong. They affectionately call it "XO" or "Crossholes".
In Hong Kong in the 1980 s, there was another kind of high-grade sauce called XO sauce, which means high-grade and does not contain any XO wine.
There are three common XO wines in China, namely remy martin XO, Martell XO and Hennessy XO.
In Europe, America and the West, there is also a Napoleon brandy Courvoisier, but it is not very popular in China.
Remy martin XO
Among the Big Three, remy martin XO is the most famous.
Remy martin, founded in 1724, uses the mythical centaur image as its brand symbol. The classic crystal bottle shape is the most familiar advertising language. Remy martin is open, and good things will come naturally!
Remy martin XO is made from more than 400 kinds of brandy, which is generally aged over 20 years.
Wine grapes come from the top quality grapes in the center of cognac and are aged in the oak barrels of Limousin, which is a hundred years old.
(See this article "remy martin XO, sexy in the eyes of middle-aged rich people! 》)
Martell X.O
Martell was born in 17 15, and always appeared in Hollywood movies, royal weddings and other aristocratic occasions, spreading French life art and culture, and adopting the image of Yan Fei as the brand Logo.
The elegant arched artistic bottle is a typical symbol of Martell XO, which is blended with at least 35 years of original wine.
Hennessy XO
Founded in 1765, Hennessy is now owned by luxury brand LVMH and wine giant Diageo.
It has the largest cognac production plant in the world, and sells more than 40% of the cognac in the world.
Hennessy invented "XO" in 1870, which was later popularized by the French government and established as the official grade standard of brandy.
Hennessy XO wine is made from 100 kinds of brandy stock solutions, all of which are more than 30 years old.
The price of XO wine is similar to that of Hennessy XO, Martell XO and remy martin XO, which are about 1600 and 1700 yuan respectively.
On the night of the bar, the price of these French brandy XO is about 4000 yuan.
Speaking of the taste of these three XO wines, it can be said that they are completely different.
Zheng Xiaota When I often eat with Cantonese and Fujian people, we often compare and evaluate each other.
The flavor of old wine pursued by remy Martin XO.
The selling point is long-term cellaring, which you can clearly see in the publicity of XO in remy martin.
It tastes like an oak barrel, just like the red wine that the old people drink, with the taste of old wine such as cedar, preserved fruit, hazelnut and cinnamon.
In some bars and clubs, many people also like to drink remy martin XO while smoking cigars.
Because the aging taste of oak barrels matches the tobacco taste of cigars, it is "seamless".
Martell XO is just the opposite, pursuing a fresh and elegant style.
Some flowers pay attention to the "dry" taste. Under the fine taste, you can feel the delicacy and "purity" of the wine.
Therefore, people who pay attention to food enjoyment prefer to use Martell XO to match when eating.
Martell XO will not steal the limelight of food, and will not affect and cover up the original flavor of food.
Hennessy XO is richer in taste and more layered.
You can feel too much taste and flavor after a sip of wine.
The mellow taste reveals strong strength and movement.
Therefore, among the three, the tastes are different, and no one is good or bad.
XO wines such as remy martin XO and Martell XO have no shelf life and can be collected and drunk for a long time because of their high alcohol content.
Even after opening, you just need to screw on the lid and keep it. You don't need to drink it in a week like red wine.
Speaking of which, I know you have a question you really want to ask, "XO wine, how to drink it best?"
In fact, I really want to answer "drink whatever you like!"
But forget it, let's talk about it!
If you are a poor drinker, don't drink pure (without any liquid) like my friend Miss Z.
You can add mineral water or ice cubes to XO wine like me.
Although the taste of XO will be a little different, it is not very big.
But if you drink XO wine in a bar at night, it is best to mix it with iced black tea and green tea, which can speed up the elimination of alcohol.
However, coke and sprite must not be mixed together. The carbon dioxide inside will accelerate the absorption of alcohol in the stomach, and it is easier to get drunk quickly, especially for beautiful girls with good figure.
As for you, does XO need to sober up?
You think XO is red wine? China Liquor needs to wake up!
Just drink!