Editor’s Note: If you’re like us, you’re convinced that the good life includes travel. So we’re adding stories about destinations near and far into the mix at “GoodLife.” We start in rural France, where a community has made one of life’s pleasures its life’s work. We’re talking about Cognac and cognac. Check out this beautiful city if you get a chance, but even if you can’t visit the town, the good news is that you can still get a taste of what they’re up to.

They don’t just drink cognac in the Charente river valley of Southwest France. They live it.

Driving through the pretty countryside, where small hills and valleys are dotted with perfectly spaced grapevines, you’d never know the wine produced here in this region above Bordeaux is used to make “the Noble spirit.”

But enter the city of Cognac and you know where you are. The big guys — Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell — are all based here along with smaller houses, and occupy historic buildings on much of the riverfront. Right across the Charente in Jarnac is powerhouse Courvoisier. Nearly everyone in the city of 20,000 and surrounding countryside seems connected with the famous French brandy. Cognac is big business in Cognac.

Winter is distillation time so that’s currently the talk of the town. Two farmers bump into each other and the topic quickly turns to this year’s crop — the grapes were good but supplies thin due to cold and rain. Go to lunch and next to you may be a cognac maker or a cooper, since oak barrels are integral to the cognac-making process. Or perhaps you’ll run into someone from the bottle-making factory.

Cognac is on everyone’s mind and the joviality in town is perhaps due to the spirit as well. They like cognac in Cognac.

Back in the 10^th century, the city’s business was salt, shipped on the Charente from the island of Re in the Atlantic — about 50 miles west of Cognac.

Later, eaux-de-vie was shipped out to the Atlantic for use as a water substitute on long ocean voyages. The Dutch got the idea of distilling the white wine into a brandy in the 16^th century. And in the 17^th century a double-distilling process was introduced and delays in shipping led to the realization that the product improved with age.

Today all the cognac in the world — some 160 million bottles shipped last year — comes from the region.

The city of Cognac itself boasts a medieval quarter with cobblestone streets. Some of the old stone buildings in town are darkened by a fungus caused by cognac vapors — though most of the product is now produced outside the city due to fire safety regulations.

Tour boats cruise the river. Locals walk their dogs and get back to nature in two beautiful city parks and buy fresh produce, cheese and snails at the covered market.

In the town square a statue of Francois I, King of France, born here in 1494, holds the prime spot surrounded by outdoor cafes.

The outlying vineyards are planted mostly with the ugni blanc grape, tractors cutting through the narrow rows of vines during the October harvest. Six crus, or growing areas, produce the grapes, with Cognac located in the heart of the Grand Champagne cru, the most prestigious.

The grapes are quickly pressed and the juice left to ferment. Distilling takes place in copper stills from November through March, with the air around the distillers filled with a sweet smell, similar to stewed fruit.

After the second boil only the heart of the wine – le coeur – makes it to the next phase which involves aging in a series of new and old oak barrels, for a long time, sometimes decades.

“Time has a different sense here,” said Celine Viard, whose family owns Cognac Meukow, as she walks through rows of dark barrels in a humid, dirt-floored aging cellar. “We take time in Cognac.”

 The tannins in the oak are as important to the product as the grape. Most of the oak comes from French forests and is carefully selected for its ability to share its natural properties with the spirit. As it ages, the liquid turns from golden yellow to deep mahogany.

It is the job of the Master Blender or Cellar Master to decide when the cognac has reached its peak and how to combine the various crus and ages into the final product. While rules codify the way cognac is created — the minimum aging is two years and minimum alcohol content 40 per cent — art plays a role, too, as these highly experienced professionals seek the perfect blend.

There are about 300 cognac producers in the city and countryside and many welcome visitors.

The bigger companies all have museums at their headquarters to help explain the production process, each with its own specialty.

Most tours include tastings and a chance to buy the cognac.

At small companies such as Cognac Hine — which produces the only cognac served at Buckingham Palace — you can arrange an individual visit.

As you tour the cellars, breathing in the deep aroma of the spirit, keep in mind that the equivalent of more than 20 million bottles a year evaporates into thin air. The cognac producers poetically refer to this as “the Angel’s Share.”

This is the source for setting up visits to the Cognac Houses. The tourist office can also arrange visits to the Saint-Gobain glass factory, the Vicard cooperage, boat tours and more. Call for information on entrance fees and to make appointments. (Click on the British flag for English translation.)

MUST-DO STOP

The Musee des Arts du Cognac is one-stop learning about the history and production of cognac, using modern interpretive presentations. The collections include cognac bottles, labels and advertising as well as a still and an entire exhibit on vines and grape growing.

Cognac is about 295 miles from Paris. Drive from Paris or take the fast train in less than three hours to Angouleme, about 23 miles southeast of Cognac.

STAYING THERE

Just outside of Cognac, this 24-room, 19^th century castle is located on two acres of parkland overlooking the Charente and offers big and lovely rooms with modern conveniences like satellite TV and mini-bars. There’s an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi and sauna. The chef gets raves for dishes including Souffle au Cognac and the cognac and cigar bar is a posh gathering spot. Room rates from $141 per night.

EATING THERE

This modern little riverfront bistro serves fresh oysters and escargot and other area specialties and has an extensive collection of cognac to compliment your meal. About $75 per person for dinner with wine.

 When you go to the liquor store — and cognac makes a great holiday gift — check out the designation. While the Master Blenders tend to use much older eaux-de-vie in their formulas, these standard designators represent the minimums.

V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale): At least four years old

X.O. (Extra Old) or Napoleon: At least six years old (beginning in 2016 it will have to be at least 10 years old)

Vintage: Cognacs made with eau-de-vie from a single harvest

Fine Champagne indicates the cognac is composed only of Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne eaux-de-vie and has a minimum alcohol content of 50 per cent.

Officials in Cognac have invited 20 bartenders from around the world to come to town in January with the goal of creating the next great cocktail drink using cognac. Meanwhile, Courvoisier is pushing Cosmopolitans made with cognac. Here are some other ways to enjoy the brandy.

Drink it straight up at the end of a meal in a tulip glass or sifter, by itself or with a cigar, chocolate dessert or blue cheese.

Mix it with water during a meal to create a wine-like drink.

Add to cocktails with tonic or other mixers.

Use as an aperitif over ice.

Cook with it, in dishes such as a cognac soufflé.