Founded in 1715, Martell is the oldest of the great cognac houses. This is the story behind the swift on the bottle: a young man from Jersey, the widow who saved the house, and the quiet obsession with purity that still defines every glass.

All cognac is brandy, but only brandy from one small corner of France earns the name. A beginner's guide to the region, the grapes, the labels, and the houses behind the world's most refined spirit.