Let’s rediscover the cider
The Cidrea Charter

Our first criteria is to ensure that ciders are unpasteurized.

Why ? simply because a pasteurized cider is a dead cider.

For fermentation to occur, sugars and yeasts are required. During pasteurization, the yeasts are killed and the residual sugars are slightly caramelized.

All widely distributed industrial ciders undergo pasteurization, which ensures a standardized product. But of course, for us, if all our ciders were identical, there would be no point in creating a cider cellar like ours.

Our ciders are mostly french because with the 500 french cider producers, there’s no need to look any further!

Our only exceptions are basque ciders that are produced in the Spanish Basque Country but as the Basques would say, it’s not Spain, it’s the Basque Country!

Our second criterion is to determine whether the producer is farmhouse or artisanal. But what exactly is a farmhouse cider?

First of all, it’s not a cider that tastes like straw or farmyard, as we are often told! It is a cider made from apples grown in the producer’s own orchard. You may therefore sometimes see the mention: “Producer-Harvester” (Producteur-Récoltant).

The producer therefore controls and manages their own orchard, which for us is a guarantee of fruit quality and transparency regarding any treatments the trees may have received. However, the producer may purchase small quantities of apples when the year’s harvest is not sufficient.

An artisanal cider is made from fruit purchased from a fruit grower. The apples are then processed on the producer’s own premises. This is not a disqualifying criterion, as we also work with some young producers who have planted their own orchards.

This orchards take at least 5 years before giving their first apples. In the meantime, these young producers source apples externally to express their creativity.

Most of our ciders undergo traditional bottle fermentation (natural effervescence).

This means their bubbles come from a second fermentation that takes place in the bottle (or in a closed tank), the first fermentation being the alcoholic fermentation in tank.

This natural sparkling process creates finer bubbles, which enhance the sensory experience of the cider during tasting. However, it requires at least one month of waiting between bottling and when the bottles can be sold.

That said, we sometimes make exceptions to this rule, as some force-carbonated ciders can also display excellent organoleptic qualities. Producers may also choose carbonation to avoid stock shortages throughout the year.

By “additives” we refer to any elements other than fruit that are added during the production of ciders and perries.

These can include various types: yeasts, sugar, sulfites, etc.

The yeasts

We aim, as much as possible, to select ciders made with indigenous yeasts. These are the yeasts naturally present on the fruit, originating from the orchard environment, or those that inhabit the cellar where the cider is produced.

Sometimes, producers are required to add so-called selected yeasts in order to achieve more predictable fermentations or to support indigenous yeasts when they are not sufficient.

Sulphites

Sulphites help improve the preservation of ciders, but that is no reason to use them excessively.

Cider naturally contains sulphites produced during fermentation. In most cases, there is therefore no need to add any, which helps keep sulphite levels as low as possible.

Added sugar

The addition of sugar is called chaptalisation, and it is used to increase the alcohol content.

There is no real need to add it when making cider, unless one aims to create a very high-strength cider… However, it can be justified when used as a tool for creativity. Today, we have two references that are chaptalised.

Of course, this is a real plus!

However, it’s important to know that an orchard does not require treatment if it is properly maintained and its ecosystem is cared for. Some producers therefore choose not to pursue an organic certification, simply because they do not need it to highlight their ciders, or because they are in the process of expanding their orchard surface area, making it difficult to certify each plot.

This is why, during our selection process, we ensure that the orchards are not heavily treated with pesticides, and that even if a producer is not certified, they still work in respect of the environment and with genuine care for their orchards.

Finally, the most important criterion is, of course, taste—and the emotions our elixirs will evoke in you!

To achieve this, we continuously taste new cuvées to uncover hidden gems crafted by talented producers.

Terroir expression, work on fruit varieties, cellar expertise, aging processes (in tanks, barrels, amphorae…), co-fermentation with other fruits… the creativity of French cider makers knows no limits!

It is up to us to find you the very best authentic ciders, made by passionate producers, in order to deliver intense emotional experiences.