Bringing the region to life, uniting producers, restoring legitimacy to local products: Thibault Verger, an arboriculturist from Bercenay-en-Othe (Aube), is not short of ambition when he discusses the reasons for the revival of the Othe Cider and Apple Juice Festival in 2023. And rightly so: the event has found its audience again since this first edition (more than 6,000 visitors), as the Aube population remains fond of its terroir. The event is also fully in line with the process of obtaining the famous protected geographical indication (PGI) for the two local drinks. “It is not an obligation, but, in the analysis of the file, we are given a certain rating on the fact of being present in our own territory and also of providing a service to the population,” emphasizes the cider maker.
The popularity and involvement of local producers will clearly be assets in front of the Inao (National Institute of Origin and Quality), responsible for awarding this European identification. It must guarantee that at least one of the stages of development of cider or apple juice from the Pays d’Othe (production or processing of products) is carried out on site.
To ensure the success of this somewhat tedious process, the eight Aube producers and the processor who make up the Pays d’Othe cider union worked on their file for a year. This project to recognize local know-how had been in the pipeline for a long time, but the process to obtain a stricter protected designation of origin had been abandoned at the beginning of the 2000s. “We wanted to take the file back in hand now, because we see that cider is a drink that is struggling to keep its place and redevelop at the national level,” explains Thibault Verger. “However, in the Pays d’Othe, we feel a desire to consume this drink, and we therefore need to re-communicate about the product.” What arguments support this particular cider? “The quality of apple production that preserves the environment, with ancestral and traditional varieties from the Pays d’Othe.”
Cider is becoming a habit again
All this has been detailed in the PGI application that will be filed by the end of the year by the union. A file that answers essential questions: how the varieties of Aube apples are distinguished from other French territories, how are the products processed, what is the feeling when tasting, or what differences with other terroirs, for example the slight acidic touch specific to the Avrolles apple, very widespread in the Pays d’Othe. “Subsequently, we will have visits from a committee of experts from the Inao who will verify each point discussed in the field, and possibly ask us for additional information,” adds Thibault Verger. PGI from 2025? The young 26-year-old professional dreams about it in the back of his mind, even if the administrative delays inevitably calm the group’s enthusiasm: “We always have ambitious objectives, because we are producers and we like it when things move quickly,” he smiles.
In Villemaur-sur-Vanne (Aube), the Cider Festival should also allow the promotion of a production that is now very good. “We had quality and communication issues in the 1980s and 1990s, because there weren’t many of us producers,” recalls Christophe Duminil, one of the veterans of the cider union, aged 49. Today, cider is becoming a habit again. Enough to give ambition to the producer from Aix-Villemaur-Palis (Aube): “With apple juice, we are going to try to gain ground against orange juice, with the desire to consume more natural products in a short circuit.” As for cider, with more technique and know-how, “the objective is to convince the older generation again, and to reach out to young people under 30, who have never had the opportunity to drink an artisanal or farm cider from the Pays d’Othe.”
On site, visitors will have free access to the festival… and for 5 euros, enjoy a tasting pass and explanations from cider and apple juice producers, not forgetting a cocktail bar from the local processor Bellot, recipes that are also specific to the Pays d’Othe and often based on cider. “We can cook it, we can put it in terrines, we can make cocktails… Apple juice can be drunk at any time of the day. The goal is to make our products part of our daily consumption,” concludes Christophe Duminil.
Practical: the Othe Country Cider and Apple Juice Festival will be held this Sunday, September 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Villemaur-sur-Vanne lake. Free entry. Tasting pass: 5 euros per person. More information: aube-champagne.com/fr/poi/fete-du-cidre/
