REPORTING. From England to Gard, the beautiful story of this artisanal cider pressed with “capricious” apples

Now considered a true high-end local product, cider is now found in Michelin-starred restaurants. Two young artisans, who have seized these new opportunities very well, are innovating in terms of taste by using local apple varieties and ancestral techniques.

In Calvisson, in the Gard, there are pippins from Vigan, around ten friends who came with elbow grease, and an artisanal press.

Aglaé and Aubry prepare, in the autumn rain, their 3th vintage of Gard cider.

“We are on organic, so who says organic necessarily means a little more life in the apples. So before pressing, we remove anything that is stained or damaged. explain Aglaé Maurel, cider maker.

An idea launched by Aglaé, who returned from England, with the habit of drinking draft cider. After around twenty tests in their kitchen and a few observations in foreign lands, the Pépine cider house was officially born.

“Here we are pressing pippins which are flourier apples and therefore more difficult to press since if we have too much pressure, we have puree coming out with the juice. So, we have to be able to gauge the pressure with this type of artisanal press.” explains Aubry Chapel, cider maker.

Rustic apples, called 'capricious' but which have the advantage of being local, and of offering more tannins, in a darker color.

“In the South, we do not have a cider culture. We spend a lot of time explaining our product and grape varieties are what cider apple varieties are. Beyond the raw cider or sweet cider, what will make up the typicity and character of a cider, it will more be the varieties of apples that we work with. Aglaé concludes.

No less than 14 varieties are produced with sometimes a few marriages unusual with other fruits: apricot, cherry, grenache or Vauvert saffron.

10,000 bottles come out of the small company every fall.

Written with Pascale Barbès.