1. Cider makers in Asturias embrace showmanship in its pouring rituals, allowing the public to watch as the cider and its destined glass are kept two to three feet apart during pouring to aerate the beverage.
2. La Route du Cidre, a 25-mile stretch of road in France’s Normandy region, was picked as No. 2 on the list for the massive number of cider producers lining the road.
3. New York was third on the list for the farms, apple orchards and cider mills that work in tandem to create the freshest cider for visitors.
4. Fourth was the Frankfurt region of Germany, which boasts several pubs serving Ebbelwoi, a traditional alcoholic cider variant popular with locals and visitors alike.
5. Fifth was Somerset, England, which has embraced cider as part of its local tradition since the 1600s, with frequent festivals, tastings and educational lectures devoted to the drink.

Here at UKCider we decided to make up our own top five cider and perry regions, to see how they would compare.

1) The Three Counties of Herefordshire, Worcester and Gloucester for having the largest diversity of cider and perry makers and producing the largest volume of real cider and perry.

2) The Basque region of Spain and France for the greatest revival in traditional cider making and for producing the most delicious natural ciders.

3) Wales for reintroducing  perry making and for celebrating Welsh cider in new areas.

4) Kent for keeping the Eastern counties style of cider going and for growing huge numbers of apple trees.

5) Devon for maintaining traditional farmhouse cider methods against all advice to adopt modern scientific techniques.

Just for fun, I wonder which would be your choices for the top 5 cider regions?

I hope he got some cockles and wet fish from the old market to go with that, anyway a good Saturday is guaranteed.

Ralph’s Cider and Perry

Gwynt y Ddraig Opens Doors on Cidermaking – 2008

Wales’ largest cidermaker, Gwynt Y Ddraig will be opening their doors to the public over the weekend of the 26th and 27th April 2008 for a cider making and tasting weekend. Over the course of the weekend at Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, 12 of Gwynt Y Ddraig’s award-winning ciders and perries (fermented pear juice) will be available on their bar at Wales’ only ciderhouse.

According to Andy and Bill, cider makers at Gwynt Y Ddraig, “This is the third year we have opened our doors to our fans and it’s always a popular event with ciderlovers even coming over from England to see how we make our award-winning products. It’s also a chance for us to meet our customers and explain the effort that goes into making ciders and perries that have won awards from CAMRA, the Welsh Perry & Cider Society and Taste of Wales”.

As well as cider and perry being available there will also be an apple-pressing demo using the equipment that makes the award-winning Gwynt Y Ddraig ciders and perries. Welsh food will be available at the farm including bread and cheese as well as 100% handmade pork sausages, and beef and Wild Boar burgers from Cegin Crincae. Even homemade cider cakes will be available.

This year will see a number of “single variety” types of cider available at the open day. As the name suggests these are made from only one variety of fruit, often from a single orchard. The most familiar single variety is Kingston Black, which originated in Somerset but has been grown in the Welsh Marches, especially Monmouthshire for well over a century. “We try and source all our fruit from Wales”, continued Bill, “but we can only get three quarters of it from Welsh orchards, the rest comes from Herefordshire and Somerset.”

Other single varieties that will be available at the open day are Strawberry Norman, Brown Snout and Yarlington Mill. Gwynt Y Ddraig will also be showcasing a “Pider” – fermented from both apple and pear fruit.

One cider that cider enthusiasts will be looking forward to is a special 3 year old vintage that has been matured in oak barrels. “It’s something special”, says Bill, “We have not tried ageing for this long before but maturing in oak will give this cider a certain flavour and colour that you cannot get normally. We think it’s one for the connoisseur”.

As well as the single varieties and the perries, Gwynt Y Ddraig’s range of ciders is completed by names such as Dog Dancer, Haymaker, Fiery Fox, Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and Barnstormer. If you are unable to make the open weekend, Gwynt Y Ddraig’s products are available throughout Wales at food shows as well as at Tesco, Waitrose and in Brains and Wetherspoons pubs.

Gwynt Y Ddraig Facts:

• Gwynt Y Ddraig was founded in 2001 by local farmer Bill George and his nephew Andrew Gronow

• 450 tons of fruit were pressed last year

• Orchard Gold Cider was commended in the True Taste Drink (Alcoholic) awards 2007/8

• Gwynt Y Ddraig Farmhouse Sweet was judged “Best Sweet Cider” at the Bath Cider Festival 2008

• Gwynt Y Ddraig have previously won Champion Cider and Perry of Britain.

Further Information:

Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider Making and Tasting Weekend

Saturday 26th April 2008 11am-7pm

Sunday 27th April 2008 11-5pm

Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, RCT, CF38 2PW

www.gwyntcider.com

Andy Gronow, Production Director Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6257

or

Bill George, Operations Director Gwynt y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6240

photo by Bahi p

A crucial date for the diary for all cider enthusiasts and producers from all over Wales, England, Spain, France and Canada etc.

See you there next summer for the first ever, and at all subsequent International cider festivals as this event grows and grows.

UPDATE:
The First International Cider Festival organised by the Welsh Perry and Cider Society has been cancelled this this year but they hope to put it on in 2009 now.

Sales of Gwynt y Ddraig already increased by a massive 196% in a year when Magners Irish Cider have been blaming the weather for reduced demand for their mass-marketed ‘over ice’ product.

Welsh breathing fire into cider market – Morning Advertiser

JDW will begin stocking cider from Wales’ biggest producer Gwynt y Ddraig – which just announced a three-fold increase in sales – at its Welsh outlets this week.