The Association Les Savoir-faire du Cognac (Cognac Heritage and Know-How Association) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the safeguarding, transmission and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage related to Cognac culture. Its work focuses on living practices, knowledge and know-how connected with vine-growing, distillation, cooperage, blending, tasting, oral narratives, harvest festivals, seasonal rituals and the cultural landscapes of the Cognac region.
The association works closely with communities of practitioners, including winegrowers, distillers, coopers, cellar masters, local inhabitants, museums, researchers, public authorities and cultural institutions. The NGO develops participatory inventories, field documentation, oral history collections, sensory and educational workshops, exhibitions, public events and community-based safeguarding actions. It promotes intergenerational transmission, cultural diversity, access to heritage, and cooperation between local communities and international networks involved in living heritage.
Through projects such as the travelling exhibition “Distilling the World: A Journey into the Living World”, the Ban de la distillation, harvest festivals, school activities and scientific partnerships, the association acts as an interface between communities, territories, museums, universities and institutions, in the spirit of the 2003 UNESCO Convention.
Year of accreditation: 2026
Main domain(s) of the ngo’s activities: Oral traditions and expressions, Social practices, rituals and festive events, Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, Traditional craftsmanship
Main safeguarding measures: a) identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making), b) preservation, protection, c) promotion, enhancement, d) transmission, (non-) formal education, e) revitalization
Main country where the NGO works: France
