Over a glass of cognac, Hennessy’s eighth-generation master blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde and Tatler talk about Hennessy cocktails, legacy—and how well cognac pairs with Chinese food
Renaud Fillioux de Gironde is a man on a mission. And that mission is to convince everyone that cognac is not a serious drink, instead, it can be a fun, joyful drink you can experiment with any way you like. In that vein, the eighth-generation master blender of house Hennessy recently flew to Hong Kong from Cognac, France, for a special tasting at Man Wah, Mandarin Oriental, which paired four vibrant Hennessy offerings with Chinese cuisine. And by pairing, we don’t mean just an elevated form of “sip and eat”. During one of the courses, Gironde had us pour the cognac into a yellow fungus and sea conch soup to see how the umami flavours of the soup contrasted with the rich sweetness of the cognac.
Tatler sat down with Gironde after this satisfying and rather boozy meal to chat about cognac, the legacy of eight generations—and the importance of balancing heritage with innovation.
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During lunch, you mentioned how consistency is key to your role. How do you balance the need for consistency with the urge to innovate?
Maintaining consistency in the quality of our products requires constant innovation, as the environment around us is always changing. Climate change, for instance, necessitates developing solutions to protect our grapes and overall production.
While many believe constant innovation is essential, it’s important to remember that just because an idea is new, it doesn’t necessarily make it better. For me, true innovation is all about meaningful benefits. It can occur in various areas, such as grape growing, winemaking, distillation, and even packaging. The key is to identify the right innovations that genuinely enhance our processes rather than innovating for the sake of it.
That’s so true. Is there any recent innovation that you implemented that you are proud of?
We have recently made changes to the space where we store our barrels. It used to be a smaller space just a few years ago, now we can store up to 13,000 barrels in the same space. But we have not only expanded the facilities, but we have also improved the insulation in the cellar. Through a lot of research, we’ve gained a better understanding of the airflow within the cellar, which has enhanced our storage conditions. So, we have a bigger, but more importantly a better, cellar for our wines.
Hennessy Paradis is harmony in a bottle, according to Renaud Fillioux de Gironde
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