Created and financed entirely by the SCEA Tesseron JP and sons in 1989, the Ecomuseum of the Cognac is an interactive museum or center of interpretation of the Cognacs craftsmanship on the domaine (over 800 square meters of exhibition). It starts with the heritage and the history of the Tesseron family through the winemaker’s museum and the distiller, and then takes you on a journey to help you discover the arts and scents of Cognac.
We have 10 orgues à parfums that will help you discover the aromas of Pineau des Charentes and Cognac.
At the end of the tour you will be able to taste a sample of the family’s bets Pineau des Charentes and Cognac produced on the domaine since 1850. (Please drink responsibly).
The Amphitheater (the Cognac history)
An audio-visual show displayed on 3 screens of 60” will take you on a journey of discovery of the Cognac’s adventure throughout 2000 years (subtitles in EN, ES, DE). From the discovery of the barrel by the Gallic through the plantation of the first charentaises vine by the Romans in the III century, you will be surprise to find out that the word alembic (“al-ambic”) was an Arabic invention! The fabulous Cognac history can also be enjoyed at your own liking, by yourself or with your family, with the help of our beautiful bilingual exhibition (French-English) displayed on the walls of the Amphitheater.
The Winemaker Museum – The Distiller
Discover the heritage of the Maison Tesseron since its creation in 1850 with our 5 rooms refurbished in the 19th century style. What makes that museum so special is that every pictures, objects, tools, piece of machinery and furniture in it belong to the Tesseron family : familial interior from Saintes, vine barrels from before and after the phylloxera crisis, the wine cellar and its antique press (the treuil), the barrel maker workshop equipped with all the tools made by the Tesseron’s ancestors in the 19th century and also a small distillery with its copper alembic heated by wood fire.
The Distillery
It’s here in the distillery that is created the domaine de Tesseron’s eau de vie every year. You will discover the charentaise double distillery that gives all its unbeatable finesse to the charentaise eau de vie.
An orgue à bouteilles will help you understand and measure how much volume of liquid is lost in the process of making the eau de vie when it is aging in the barrels. That loss is actually call “the angels share” and is off 50% for a 25 years old Cognac and 63% for a 50 years old Cognac !
The Aromas Cellar
In an old eau de vie cellar you can discover 10 orgues à parfum (unique in the Cognac region), fruity, flowery, woody or spicy scents of the Pineau des Charentes and of the Cognac in different ageing stages.
A tablet will be handed to you when you get in with some interactive games for all ages to learn all about the aromas. Time to put your noses to the test !
The Graft Workshop & the Barrel Factory
Two new rooms in 2020 open their doors: the vineyard grafting workshop and the barrel factory. Discover the grafting tools and processes as well as the stages of making a barrel, an essential element for the aging stage of Cognac.
Permanent exhibitions
Cuba : chocolate, coffee and Havana
Having travelled to Cuba in 2000 to find out the secrets of the Cuban cigar, the famous Havana, Patrick Tesseron fell in love with the island, its welcoming people, its culture and the gastronomic products such as coffee and cocoa.
Since it became his new passion, Patrick then created 3 exhibitions around the Cubans emblematic products : the Havana, the coffee and the chocolate.
The vintage fifties and sixties cars collection
Jean-Louis et Jean-Philippe, passionate about cars since the seventies, started a great advertisement and vehicles collection. From that was born the cars and tractors showroom from the sixties till now. The elegance and quality of those vehicles is a perfect match for a product as refined as the Cognac.
Information & Prices
November to March : closed
Open every day from May to September
9.30am to 12am & 14.30am to 18.30
April, October, November & December
By appointment from Tuesday to Saturday, guided tour on demand, visit possible during distillation
9.30am to 12am & 14.30pm to 18.30
Audio-visual show (May to September) : loop broadcast all day
Adult : 9€ (5€ for guest) Students 6€
Low season : 5€
Group from 10 people : 7€
Pass : 6€
Seniors > 65 years old : 6 € (except July and August)
Children under 16 years old : free
Payment by credit card, cash, check and vacation check
