EXCLUSIVE: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's Ten Essential Luxuries

Maurice-Richard Hennessy spent his childhood years in France's famed Cognac region. A direct descendant of the founder of the Hennessy company, he belongs to the eighth generation of the prestigious family that came to France from Ireland in 1765. The cognac gene is firmly established in his DNA, along with his love for the Charente countryside, vine-growing and fine gastronomy. He joined the family firm, now a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, in 1975 and was given an in-depth training in all the Hennessy professions, from distillation to bottling, as well as commercial and marketing activities.

He began by traveling for Hennessy and then in 1979 settled in London for five years to work on the promotion of the brand in England and Ireland. At that time he also travelled regularly to the United States and Canada. So it is natural that Monsieur Hennessy, with his famous name, became the incarnation of the brand and its global ambassador. As familiar with the history of the company as he is with cognac, he owns vineyards himself, distilling and selling his eaux-de-vie to the Hennessy firm, and is an expert on all facets of cognac production. In the gallery, Hennessy reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.