Apple Brew

A Best of France selection.

Normandy’s climate and soil are perfect for growing apples, and wild apple trees were already flourishing there when early navigators brought back seedlings of exotic varieties to enrich the native stock. Historians believe that the first Norman cider was made in the late 6th or early 7th century. In 1996 the sparkling golden cidre Pays d’Auge, made in a region that stretches from the coastal towns of Trouville, Deauville and Cabourg south past Lisieux, was granted AOC status.

Strict regulations govern the AOC brew. Only 50 of the 750 apple varieties grown in the region may be used. Cider apples, smaller and tarter than eating apples, are harvested in the fall; sorted, washed and crushed, they’re slowly pressed, with a regulation maximum of 198 gallons of juice extracted per ton of fruit. That juice, called moût (must), rests for a few days while solids rise to the top in a thick brown layer. Beneath it, the still cider is clear and golden, ready for a slow fermentation at cool temperatures (10°C/50°F) in stainless steel vats. During this initial fermentation, due to the yeasts naturally present in in apples, part of the sugar turns to alcohol.

Individual producers decide how long to ferment before bottling-the longer the fermentation, the higher the alcohol content and the drier the cider-and create flavor balance by blending different batches, or cuvées.

Like champagne, sparkling cider undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle, with yeast added to produce a natural effervescence. The result is a gloriously flavorful drinkranging in color from golden yellow to amber, with fine bubbles, a complex aroma, and a nicely balanced, slightly bitter taste. A perfect refresher in warm weather, cidre Pays d’Auge also goes well with Normandy’s cream-and apple-based dishes, and the region’s many Norman cheeses, especially nicely aged Camembert.

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Originally published in the December 2008 issue of France Today, updated in August 2013.