Word: cognac
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Late in life, Jean Monnet, a Cognac salesman who went on to become the architect of the Common Market, mused about his dream for a United States of Europe. He thought back to his birthplace in this brandy-making town of Southwest France, where the grapes ripen slowly in the September sun, then mellow for decades in oaken barrels beneath the limestone distilleries. "The great thing about making cognac," he said, "is that it teaches you above all to wait. Man proposes, but time and God and the seasons have to be on your side...
Four decades have passed since Monnet's bold proposal of a more perfect union began to take form. But last week the citizens of Cognac, and of towns and cities across the European Community, signaled that they want to wait even longer -- perhaps forever -- before joining a federalist monetary and political structure...
Real people. Like the people of Cognac, where signs in five languages welcome visitors to "the City at the Heart of the World." It is no idle boast. Cognac (pop. 20,000) exports 95% of its brandy, $2 billion worth a year, west to musty men's clubs of Manhattan, and east to Japan, where businessmen buy it packaged in Baccarat crystal at $1,000 a bottle. The French drink less and less cognac. "We've been switching to whiskey ever since the Americans liberated us in '44," says Jean-Luc Lebuy, a Remy Martin executive. He voted...
...lost his job. Families are shattering." Whether stung by France's 10% jobless rate, by recession in Britain or by the costs of unification in Germany, voters are feeling the pinch -- and they are taking it out on Maastricht, the politicians' pet project. "Everyone is looking for scapegoats," says Cognac city councilor Jerome Mouhot. "Brussels is a convenient target...
...mellow sherry vinegars are fast sellers at specialty stores around the country. Even more popular among foodies is Modena's aromatic, sweet-sour balsamic variety. Alas, most of the cheap brands on the U.S. market bear little resemblance to the syrupy real stuff, which costs as much as X.O. Cognac...