Apfelwein Is A Friend Of Mine
Fun fact: Cider in German is “Apfelwein,” which translates to apple wine. Since we are a cutie little wine shop, let’s talk cider for a moment.
WHY CIDER, YOU ASK?
I know what you’re thinking… Ciders are lame. Honestly, you’re right. A lot are too sweet, and insanely processed. We’re not the only ones to think that they’re lame either. There are articles written about this very subject. Ciders were once one of the most consumed alcoholic bevs in the United States. But when people started to work away from agriculture and in cities, tastes changed. But, what if I told you that ciders are making a comeback? You’d probably say, “what, no way,” and I'd say, “yes way!”
In recent years, there have been so many ciders coming out that we just can’t keep track of all these delicious juices! They’re coming back with more depth and more layers. Ciders that are made in relation to natural wines, without additives and without anything being taken away from them, are what we want to see. We’re talking about ciders that went through wild yeast fermentation. Ciders that have a sense of place, a terroir.
WHAT IS CIDER?
It’s easy to understand ciders. It’s just fermented apple juice, right? Correct. But in recent years, the processes have become a little more complex than just that. Have you ever heard of a Pet Nat Cider? If not, you should really run (don’t walk) to your neighborhood bottle shop and pick some up!
When made in a Pet Nat style, the ciders are made in the Methode Ancestral way. This is where the wine is bottled before the juice has finished it’s first fermentation and then the fermentation process is completed within the bottle. These ciders are usually dry, yeasty, fruit forward and with just a hint of funk. If you like saisons, this would definitely be your jam.
We are also seeing more apple and grape co-ferments. This is where the two are fermented together. There are also apple and grape blends, where the two are fermented separately and added together at the end to make a super delish little bev. Many well known natural wine producers are even branching out and adding ciders to their portfolios.
GIVE IT A TRY
Whether you find a natural small producer cider that is made traditionally (just fermented apples), in the Pet Nat style, co-fermented or blended, you are in for a treat! Since it is also the summer time, this is the perfect time to be sippin’ on these. They’re lower ABV and incredibly refreshing.
Cheers!
By: Kirsten McLaren
CURRENT FAVORITES
Durham Blump Bloomp Blimp 2020 Fruit Wine
It's basically a liquid fruit stick without the corn syrup. Strawberries hit hard up front on the nose. The blackberries come and go as they please. Color is stunning. Bubbles are tiny and cute. But in the end this is straight blueberry delight. It’s a for sure right on!
This one has a lightning punch--think pineapple kombucha meets orange wine inside a hundred-year-old barn. This cider is undeniably alive in the bottle; you feel the probiotics the second they start a party in your stomach. This is a lightly sparkling cider.
This hard cider is made in Pet'Nat or Petillant Natural stylem, the ancestral, more rustic sparkling style, made with 100% Gravenstein apples. Tony Coturri has been producing still cider since 2008, but in 2018 decided to try something different by blending a barrel of 2015 still cider with a barrel of still fermenting 2016. The cider was then bottled in clear champagne bottles under crown cap when the the blend hit just the right amount of residual sugar. The result was a slightly effervescent style with a gentle fizziness that balances out the sugar, making it super dry on the palate.
