An utterly ridiculous cornucopia of international ciders

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11 producers, 10 countries, 46 bottlings. Has Adam lost the plot?

alemania asturias austria feria donostia euskal herria francia italia noruega polonia portugal sagardo forum sidra - chile zapiain sagardotegia

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• Fuente: Cider Review
• Fecha: 2023-12-08
• Clasificación: 5.4. Ferias
• Tipo documento: Prensa
• Fondo: Sagardoetxea fondoa
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• Código: NA-016350

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Honestly this wasn’t something I planned to do. Part of me wonders whether it is even a bit silly. But I was recently lucky enough to be invited on a press trip to the Sagardo Forum in Donostiá-San Sebastián in the Basque Country, possibly my favourite city on the continent. I was also speaking at the conference, but mainly I was there as a guest, shown around a bit and let into the discussions and events – which obviously was lovely and a great privilege.

It was a fascinating and mind-broadening couple of days, which I shall write about more fully in the next couple of months. And as part of it I went to the Forum’s ‘fair’, a tasting of ciders made by attendees and producers who had entered their international cider competition.

It’s only with hindsight that I realise quite how remarkable, by the standards of cider tastings I’ve been to, that event actually was. Not merely for the incredible numbers of bottles to try – though there were huge numbers; I think I got to maybe a quarter of them – nor by the fact that every table had spittoons (take note, UK shows). But it was the first time, I think, that I’ve been to a cider tasting with such geographic diversity.

The Cider Salon, admirably, always has a few international makers – and a particularly impressive American contingent this year. CidrExpo, which I visited (and was obsessed with) in 2020 had a decent representation from countries outside France. But this was on another level. It’s a measure of how broad the spread was that, realising I wasn’t going to have nearly enough time to fully do the rounds, I resolved not to do tastings from two different producers within the same region. And other than Spain, where I did a tasting from one Basque and one Asturian producer, I didn’t even taste two different producers from the same country.

In short, it was a revelation. And with almost no producers in attendance whose ciders I’d had much of a chance to sample previously, I made – by my usual standards at big fairs like this – reasonably detailed notes. They’re not full review-style notes of the sort we usually publish in these pages, but looking through them and thinking about it, I thought they were worth writing up here nonetheless. It isn’t often – in fact, to date, it’s never – that I can taste ciders from so many countries side by side outside of judging competitions, and it’s unlikely I’ll have the opportunity to share thoughts on many of these producers again any time soon.

Besides, Proper Drinks Websites – especially wine – often do Great Big Tasting Note Pieces, often with far more than I’ve shared below. So why not brush up the airs and graces, fasten our top buttons and pretend we’re proper here too? If only for today.

Obviously these notes were taken at a greater pace and in very different conditions to my usual reviewing, so consider them more like ‘impressions’ than full considerations. But I hope you enjoy them nonetheless. Standards were high across the board – only a small number not to my personal tastes – so I’ve put a star next to bottles that I especially liked, two stars next to the five or six that were almost my favourite, and three stars next to my absolute ‘bottle of the show’.

Right. 11 producers, 10 countries, 46 bottlings – let’s gooooo!

Kühbrein – Austria
I began my tasting ‘in Austria’ – a place whose perries are familiar to me (if not as regularly familiar as I’d like!) but whose ciders I’ve had few opportunities to taste. This producer, from the obersteirischen Murtal in Styria, is one I’ve seen do rather well in international competitions though, and I have in mind Barry has said positive things about them in the past too. Their website – and the shapes of their bottles – give a very wine-like impression. Perhaps not surprising for this part of Austria.

Kühbrein Champagner Reinette 2022 – note*

Still, dry. Gorgeous freshness and aromatics. Concentrated, poised, super winey. Big green apple flavours and sherbety acidity. Immediately thinking Grüner Veltliner wines with all that poised green fruit, elegance and fresh, stony minerality.

Kühbrein Ilzer Rosenapfel 2021 – note*

Also still and dry. Honeyed, floral. Fuller and rounder and more developed than the Reinette but similarly elegant, winey body. Honeyed and floral – but floral in a warmed petals of flowers in a greenhouse sense rather than delicate white blooms. There’s real fullness to the florals, if that makes sense. This is super, super good. So elegant.

Kühbrein Secco – note

A single variety Rubinette. This has been carbonated, with the intention being that flavours should come from the fruit alone rather than being too process-influenced. Very much Prosecco but with more of a green apple and acid bite. Lovehearts, melon, blossom. Tasty stuff. Again, totally clean, nice freshness.

Kühbrein Red Love Secco – note*

Classic Red Love – an apple I’m a great fan of, having enjoyed one from The Newt a few years back and really enjoyed one from Nightingale a couple of months after. Stylistically this sits between the two I’d say – less reserved and cautious in its expression than the Newt, but not quite as full-throttle as Nightingale’s. This is strawberries, strawberries and strawberries. Fresh strawberries, strawberry jelly cubes and fizzy strawberry laces. Great acidity, totally whistle-clean. Great aromatics and flavour intensity. Love it.

Apfelweinkontor – Germany
An icon of the cider world, being a hugely important shop and cider tasting house in the heart of Frankfurt – the centre of Germany’s cider universe (with an apologetic wave to Schefflenz). In fact their Cider house is the oldest residential building in the city. Along with ciders from many other producers, they make and sell their own Bembels, the beautiful traditional jugs for serving apfelwein in this part of the world – and they make their own cider under the name of ‘Wein aus Äpfeln’ at another producer’s cidery. Website here.

Apfelweinkontor German Cider 2021 – note

Demi-sec level of sweetness with some carbonation. Very soft. ‘Sessionable’, if you don’t mind me using that word. Simple, soft apple fruit with gentle acidity. Pleasant.

Apfelweinkontor Skylineschoppen Streuobst mit Speierling 2021 – note*

Love the label, and the concept of the label changing to a different view of the Frankfurt skyline as seen from Sachsenhausen with each bottling. Only very, very small amounts of Speierling – which is a Sorb, a kind of wild, super-tannic apple-like fruit that Barry has explained better here. This is another from the full, textural, winey stable – more so even than the Kühlbreins. A bit fuller. Big honey and lemon flavours. Great stuff.

Apfelweinkontor Cuvée Restsüss 2022 – note

A blend of two different culinary apples, Goldparmäne and Bohnapfel, which are very common in German cidermaking. This has been backsweetened a little with apple juice. And it is juicy indeed. Very, very floral (almost a little too much so for my personal tastes). Simple but clean and fresh with nice juiciness.

Apfelweinkontor Streuobst mit Quitte 2022 – note*

70% quince in this apparently. I’ve not had much quince this year (have I reviewed any on CR in 2023? Don’t think so. But better late than never, and this is aromatically beautiful. God I love quince. Super perfume, all those golden aromatics. Another with a very winey structure in the mouth, without being ‘tannic’. Nice acidity without being ferocious. Fabulous stuff.

Apfelweinkontor Rosé Streuobst Restsüss Apfelperlwein 2022 – note

Made with 9% cherry, 1% cassis and again backsweetened slightly with juice. The cherries come through but being less than 10% this isn’t a cherry-bomb, and they’re dovetailing nicely with the apple. More depth than if it was higher in cherry. This is almost Pinot Noir-esque at moments in its inflection of darker fruits. Pinot meets Chianti maybe. Possibly I’m losing the plot. Lovely anyway. A touch of sweetness but it’s nicely balanced.

GAEC de l’Aubinière – France
I sat next to this Breton producer at dinner the night before the fair, and having seen how he cut the shared steak off the bone I’d be quite scared of saying negative things about their ciders and perries. Fortunately they were not only delicious – possibly my favourite across-the-board producer of the day – but tremendously varied and diverse, many showcasing single varieties of French pears and apples. Very much a showcase of the best of modern French making, whilst rooted in traditional methods and respect for the fruit. (As an aside, they were also complicit, with brilliant Breton cider writer Virginie Thomas, who wrote Le Journal du Sommelier – Cidre, in playing ‘let’s make the Englishman look more French’. I shared the photo on my instagram stories – that was enough, I think.)

Breton cider in an Islay barrel, very intriguing! And apparently an unpeated Islay barrel (slight sad face). Anyway, this is also almost still, a most unusual creature for France. Sweet smoky (though not peaty obviously – more light woodsmoke) honey balanced with grape and pineapple. Never had a French cider quite like it. Never had any cider quite like it. Super nice.

l’Aubinière Poiré Bio – note*

Organic Breton perry from a single variety Saint Linard. A new one on me – not one I’ve come across in my Domfront explorations – and very different to Domfrontais perry in its flavours. This is fresh, green, grassy with light inflections of lime. Lively of flavour and lively of mousse. Sweetness nicely balanced. A cracking aperitif perry. One for fans of Green Horse, in UK terms.

l’Aubinière Cuvée L’Etincelles – note*

Same perry base but aged in another unpeated Islay cask. (Do a peated one next!) Still fresh and green but in a fresher and more textural way. Some of the sharpness has given way; this has an almost creamy texture now, but with enough acidity to balance its sweetness. Some nice vanilla tones too. This is a real treat. Do try it if you can.

l’Aubinière Vent d’Ouest Cidre Bio 2021 – note

This is either a single variety or very heavily based around a single variety (shamefully I haven’t made a note) called Orge pépin rouge. (Orge means barley, which apparently this apple’s pips look like? Think I’ve got that right!) Anyway, this is much drier than the traditional French norm. (France’s best cidermakers do seem to be starting to tack a little drier? Maybe just my perception.) Nice firm tannins. Apple skins, citrus rind and pith. Rather in the Harry Masters’/Tremlett’s Bitter camp. Almost a slight meatiness. Fresh, defined, super textural.

l’Aubinière Cuvée Origines 2021 – note*

From a super-local apple variety called Pied-Court (originates and grows within 10km of the farm). This is another that tacks in the fresh, green, crisp direction, but without losing fullness. Not much tannin if any. Fresh, high-toned, grassy, blossomy.

l’Aubinière Cuvée Origines (Rum Barrel) 2021 – note**

Same variety, Pied-Court, and not just any rum barrel, but a Rhum Agricole barrel, so fresh cane juice rum (as is proper, says this Renegade Distillery employee). Anyway, it’s a very good choice for this apple variety, because the Agricole aromas and flavours – the fresh cane and green but tropical-fruit-green tones – are a perfect marriage for the more ‘western European springtime green’ characters of the apple. The result is a sort of heightening and filling out of the fruit, rather than a clash, or a totally new flavour territory. Clever. And ace.

l’Aubinière Cuvée Ombrage 2022 – note*

Another that’s either single variety or dominated by one apple – in this case Douce Moën which I feel I have heard my various French cider tutors such as Camille and Yann mention before. As an aside, great to try all these single-or-nearly-single French varieties! This one is your classic bittersweet keeve. Orangey, leathery flavours, robust, chewy tannins that aren’t astringent. Sweet, but full and very delicious. This is a great producer.

Ulvik Frukt & Cideri – Norway
Norwegian cider is having an incredible moment right now, which Ulvik’s Asbjørn Børsheim was able to tell us about in his presentation of the previous day. So Ulvik was a table I was especially keen to visit. They’re based in Hardanger, along with much of Norway’s cider scene (where I would presume apples benefit from slopes and proximity to the Hardanger Fjord’s sunlight reflections – but let’s not go too far down the terroir rabbit hole right now). And they were one of the earlier adopters of cider in the country.

Ulvik Stille Stunder – note

Blend of eating apples. Fresh, bright with high toned florals and some serious, nibbly Bramley acidity. Whistle clean and very tasty – could maybe do with a bit of fullness and complexity but this is very nice stuff.

Ulvik Gravenstein 2022 – note

A familiar apple – see this in a few Nordic (and occasionally American!) ciders. Another eater. Originally Danish I have in mind? Correct me if I’m wrong? Anyhow: this is soft, floral and is giving very pudding apple/apple sauce characters. More fullness than the previous, though still on the simpler end. Lightly carbonated. Nice.

Ulvik Hylleblomsider 2022 – note*

Cider with 10% fresh elderflower. I think I’ve got that right! I love the smell and flavour of elderflower and it’s here in spades, with a great perfume and a fresh green stemminess. Sits over a nice, full, crisp-but-textural green apple base. All these ciders are super clean and fresh. Very well made. I’d love a bit more fullness and depth but maybe I’m fussy!

Floribunda – Italy
Italy is another country flying currently, thanks to fantastic makers predominantly towards the north and excellent joined-up advocacy by the likes of Marco Manfrini and Andrea Bedini of Torino Cider Club. Floribunda seems to be one of the names I see more frequently among Italy’s aspirational cidermakers. They’re based in South Tyrol, which I understand is a key area for Italian apples, and have operated as the Floribunda brand since 2015 but, per their website, made cider for some time prior to that. Full juice, naturally sparkling, lots of playing around. All exciting stuff.

Floribunda Apfel Cider Alla Mela 2022 – note

Traditional method I believe – as are all the Floribundas I tasted. This is super Prosecco-y in its flavours though, bundles of blossom and soft white peach. Lovely creamy mousse. Soft and just off-dry. This would be a crowd-pleaser for sure. Incredibly moreish.

Floribunda Rosé 2022 – note*

A ‘true’ rosé cider in the sense of being made from red-fleshed apples. But I forgot to write which ones down like the human failure I am. Again, a fabulous marriage of softness and perfume. A pillowy whumph of pink flowers, raspberries and soft apples. All is rounded and soft, but with fizz and gentle acidity to prevent any heaviness. Super.

Floribunda Ginger Cider – note*

I absolutely love ginger, and they are absolutely not kidding or messing about with this one. If you’re not a ginger fan, this is not for you. If you are, this is sharp, spicy glass of absolute marvellous mayhem. Like Grasmere Gingerbread, if you’re lucky enough to know what I’m talking about (if you aren’t, got to Grasmere and experience the best gingerbread in the world) but with more fieriness. I’m a big fan.

Floribunda Barricato 2022 – note*

Fermented in barriques (old Chardonnay casks in this instance) before being transferred to stainless steel for maturation. So we’re not expecting big oak tones here, and we don’t get them. Rather this is similar to the Apfel Cider Alla Mela in its notes, but with a buttery malolactic sort of note accompanying. It’s fuller, too, and more harmonious and complex. Grand.

Floribunda Mele e Miele – note**

Unlike the other bottlings, where the second fermentation was primed with juice, this one was primed with honey, which comes through beautifully in a waft of honeyed (shocking) and caramel overtones just latticing the ripe, juicy, floral and peachy apple base. Absolutely ace. I put two stars next to this in my notebook!

Cydrownia Zywer – Poland
Thanks to the brilliant Cider From Poland by Rita Krawczyk, learning about the exciting things going on in Poland is easier than it is for many other countries. Though that makes it all the more frustrating that it’s impossible to taste in the UK. I actually think it sits beside Norway as the most exciting European cider country outside of the biggest producers (UK, France, Spain, Germany) – a feeling strengthened when I taste the simply astonishing long-aged ice ciders that Polish makers enter into competitions like the IWSC (and usually win with).

Cydrownia Zywer is a newer maker – so much so that Rita hasn’t got round to them yet, though Cider Explorer’s Natalia has written a couple up. They provided a lovely cider to the dinner we had on our first evening, though idiotically I didn’t make a note for that one. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to try a good few more. All from old, unsprayed orchards and various different varieties, predominantly culinary.

Interestingly, doing my editorial admin, I discovered that Natalia has reviewed this one on Cider Explorer. And thought pretty highly of it. Let’s see if my opinion tallies. Dry and still. This has some lovely, savoury, almost dusky aromatics – unusual but really compelling – alongside robust fresh apple. Delivery is fresh, bright, pithy, skinsy. Very much ‘of the whole fruit’. Lovely sinewy texture. Another that feels, for want of a better word, very ‘winey’ in the mouth. In the mould of your fresh, vibrant, unoaked white wines of course. Good call, Natalia.

Cydrownia Zywer Cornus 2022 – note

Blended with dogwood, which I know very little about, but gather is a small kind of shrub-like plant. This is very high acid, and a little reductive at this stage in its life. I think it wants a little more time, as the flavours are being just slightly overwhelmed right now.

Cydrownia Zywer Aprum 2022 – note

Macerated on pulp for a week, and there’s some lovely, full apple fruit going on. Unfortunately it’s just a little bit volatile for my tastes personally. But many will love it – especially at a forum in the Basque Country!

Cydrownia Zywer Foszt 2021 – note**

Traditional method. Beautiful autolytic overtones of salty dough and seashell over lemon and green apple. The varieties they’re using seem to be on the full, sinewy, characterful, textural end of culinary fruit and they work very well here – a great balance of apples and lees. Delicious in its youth but will age nicely I’ll wager. Another I put two stars by.

Cydrownia Zywer Croncels 2022 – note

A single variety called ‘Transperant de Croncels’. This is light with a really zingy acidity that is up my street but may be a bit pointy for some. Sherbet, lime, gooseberry. Quite bramley-esque. Delicate but sweet. If I’m being picky I’d like a little more breadth here. But clean, fresh and tasty stuff.

Cydrownia Zywer Reinette 2022 – note*

Another single variety that’s new to me – a lot of these today! This time it’s Red Reinette, apparently also called Kaiser Wilhelm. Full of waxy green and yellow fruit. Great acidity – fresh but not excessive. Lovely, sinewey texture with a little nibble of tannin. Love this. Another starred up in the notebook. Young but great bones. Keep for a year or two before drinking.

Zapiain – Spain (Basque Country)
The first name I already knew. Zapiain are the biggest producer in the Basque Country, and it’s kind of mind-boggling to consider a cidery producing 1.5 million litres of cider a year – that’s all full juice.

They make one of the best classic Basque Ciders in the region – indeed it won an award on the day in its category – but they’re also probably the most innovative maker, with various different bottlings of ice ciders, mistelles, single orchards and various other cidery bits and bobs. I’ve written them up here and here before, but you can check them out for yourselves on their website.

Zapiain Joanes de Zapiain 2022 – note

A single orchard cuvée from Zapiain that has also qualified for the ‘Gold Label’ Euskal Sagardoa Premium designation. (Meaning all Basque-grown fruit and having been rated at a high level by an independent panel). Very ‘modern classic’ Basque. The element of volatility is slight and well managed, the acid levels are fresh without excess. Nice breadth. Very classic Zapiain too – at the tropical end of the citrus-tropical Basque spectrum with a nice passionfruit acidity.

Zapiain Unreleased Pét Nat 2020 – note**

Just included for fun – this isn’t available yet. Done as a special cuvée and done pét nat because it was intended for ageing so they wanted to catch this cider in bottle before it had been subject to the process of introducing volatility. So a totally non-volatile Basque cider – what a time to be alive! There is a stunning autolytic character here – brioche and salt dough – from the lees on top of fresh, clean, green tropical fruit. A revelation from the Basque Country. What a brilliant cider and producer. Buy as soon as it’s out.

Pomologik – Sweden
This was like a welcome reunion for me. Way back before I started actually writing about ciders – around 2018, 2019, the much-missed Scrattings introduced Pomologik ciders to the UK, and I thought they were absolutely epic. There was one in my first ever ‘essential case’ – the snowball that started this fairly serious cider writing avalanche – and Pomologik founder Johan was one of the first people in cider I ever interviewed. But between the pandemic, Brexit and Scrattings closing down, I’ve not tasted anything from them in a few years. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to do so again, and meet CEO and cidermaker Patrik Svensk. Not least because it seems they’ve gone from strength to strength in the meantime, serving their ciders at the Nobel Awards and winning the top prize at the Sagardo Forum.

Pomologik Cider State of Mind 2017 – note*

Aged two years in oak barrels, but the apples have stood up to what feels like pretty active oak beautifully. Casks and time have created a marvellous pudding apple tarte tatin quality. Smoke, pith and caramel apples. Gorgeous structure and mousse. A wild explosion of texture. Maillard reaction cider. Might be too much for some – but not for me!

Pomologik Pinot Replicant – note*

Aged on Pinot Noir lees. I think? Here to be corrected if not. Anyway, lots going on here: grapes, herbs, cherries. A nice softness. It’s high-toned overall, balancing between lightly jammy red fruit and a green sort of stemminess. This was the overall champion of the competition – and is very good. (I gave it stars). But I have to say, I thought a couple of Pomologik’s other bottlings were even better. It’s as if different people have different preferences or something.

Pomologik Brut 2022 – note

Pomologik have one of the biggest barrel programmes in the world of aspirational cider, but this one – a single variety Belle de Boskop – has not been in one. Instead it has had long maceration (presumably on pulp? Take better notes, Wells). Some good apple freshness and an interesting toastiness given no oak has been involved. They’ve done well to create depth here given the apples they’re working with but it has become slightly oxidised – a bit ‘sherried’ for my tastes – and the pithiness of the texture has tiptoed into slightly astringent. With all of Pomologik’s experimentation it would be odd if I loved every single one I guess!

Pomologik Gravensteiner Ice Ice Baby 2021 – note***

I tasted the 2017 edition of this way back in 2020. And thought it was sensational. A nice interview with Pomologik’s Johan, too – hadn’t read that in years. ANYWAY, this is all Gravenstein, part of which was simply wild fermented and part of which was made into cryo-concentrated ice cider before the two were blended together. This 2021 vintage is as phenomenal as I remember its predecessor. Maybe even better. Just epic aromas. Like the best apple pie ever meets the honeyed marmalade of old Beerenauslese Riesling or Sauternes. Full, rich, deep, weighty, but balanced by superb acidity. Best thing I tasted across the day.

Pomologik x Oliver’s Wassail – note*

Some English representation! Albeit in collab form. Mr Oliver gets about, doesn’t he? In this instance we have English (Herefordshire apples) from Oliver’s (Kingston Black and Dabinett I believe) blended with Swedish from Pomologik. It’s safe to say the English win the organoleptic match – very familiar Herefordshire bittersweet aromas and characters. Soft, rich, waxy, yellow-orangey, leathery bittersweet aromas. Tropical fruit tones of Kingston Black popping especially. Soft malolactic bitterness. Ace. A taste of home!

El Gaitero – Spain (Asturias)
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Basque Country three times now, but a huge unstamped page on my cider passport is Asturias, a region making two or three times as much – the centre of cider in Spain and probably the first place to ever have a proper cider industry, with records of cider merchants doing serious business as early as the ninth century.

One day I’ll finally get there – in the meantime it was great to have the chance to taste ciders from its, and Spain’s, biggest producer – El Gaitero.

El Gaitero Sidra Natural 2022 – note

Simple but very pleasant aromas and flavours. Bright, delicate, rather limey and floral with a nice spritziness. The aperitif end of Spanish cider I’d say.

El Gaitero Valle Ballina y Fernandes – note

Traditional method cider aged for 12 months on its lees. A blend of Durona and Collaos apples (I think I have that right!). A nice smoky leesiness and a full texture atop some waxy yellow fruit. There’s a tiny bit of volatility but it really is teeny-tiny.

El Gaitero Sidra Natural Espumosa – note

Charmat method this time, and as fresh and easy as charmat method drinks deserve to be. Lovely brightness of fruit (still fairly simple, easygoing, green and yellow apple tones) with a nice soft texture and mousse. Good stuff.

El Gaitero Sidra de Hielo 1898 – note**

1898 isn’t the vintage sadly – I’m not drinking 125 year old Ice Cider (it was only invented in about 1990 after all!) Anyway, curiously this was made from four apple varieties, and in each instance the apple variety itself was frozen, thawed and pressed before blending in tank. And it is superb. The high-toned, grapey, tropical, apricot end of ice cider. Intense pineapple. Still very fresh and young with great acidity – will age a long time. Love it.

Nua – Portugal
The only Portuguese ciders ever tasted on this cider were this pair reviewed by James in our second month of existence. Cidermakers in the country are relatively few, but very enthusiastic. And not just in mainland Portugal, but on the island of Madeira, where just this year they celebrated their first International Cider Competition and Conference, attended and written up by Natalia. Nua, however, are based in Minho, in northern Portugal, where they make ciders with a natural winemaker’s approach.

Nua Cider No.2 – note

A fresh, bright, apple-and-lemon scented dry pét nat. Has me in mind of some examples from the Eastern Counties actually. Full, textural, with racy acidity – but it’s slipped just a little too far into volatility for my personal tastes. I don’t know if this is deliberate inspiration taken from Spanish natural cider?

Nua Hybrid Cider – note

Similar to No.2 but made with 2% Moscatel and 2% Sercial grapes as well. (I’m pretty sure it was Sercial – apologies if I misheard). Anyway, as you’d expect, it’s pretty similar to the above – same yellow apples and lemons and lightly tropical tones, here brushed with ever-so-light red fruit. That volatility is also still here though – it might even be a little more pronounced.

Alai – Chile
Last but by no means least, we’re crossing the Atlantic and, for the first time in this website’s history (I think?) tasting a South American cider. Cider, I gather, is quite big in Argentina, where it is ubiquitously associated with Christmas. But Alai is based in Chile, across the Andes. I’ve drunk my fair share of South American wine before, but as far as I can remember these were the very first South American ciders I’ve experienced. And – spoilers – all three were ace. I’m going to Chile in February – looks like I’ll be hijacking another holiday for cider exploration. (Sorry Caroline).

Alai Sidra – note

Apparently this is made with a little bit of quince, but I couldn’t spot that on the label – just going by what I was told. Anyway, it’s bright, it’s clean and it’s very vibrant. I can definitely taste the quince – in fact it’s more pronounced than the apple, but the apple certainly gives a big, clean, soft, fruity base beneath it. Really tasty stuff.

Alai La Grimella – note*

Foraged from wild apples in this area of Chile. This is really delightful. Great aromatics, clean, lemony, mineral, full-textured eating apple delivery. A style I’ve tasted a few of today, and this stands out within it. Lovely.

Alai The Pome King – note**

Finishing strongly with a 100% quince. Only had two of those in these pages before (I think?). Pilton’s Queen of the Brue and Ramborn’s Luxembourgish Garden Quince. Adored both, and this one lives up to them. Full-on, waxy, deep, vibrant yellow-fruited Quince aromatics. Bursts of citrus and tropical flowers and heady perfume. Acidity – always a tricky balance with quince – is superbly managed. A rollercoaster of delicious flavour.

Speedy conclusions
Too many and too varied to draw any sorts of generalisations – except to say that, for the most part, international cider beyond the UK and France is fully embracing its lack of bittersweets and making incredibly compelling and often textural and complex ciders that the term ‘acid driven’ doesn’t fully do justice to. And we can certainly make the generalisation that almost all of these ciders have been directly inspired and influenced by wine, though I know that will irritate a few folk (it shouldn’t).

Really it was just a showcase of how much flavour there is out there in the world of cider. I’m incredibly lucky that there is so much brilliant cider and perry in my home country, but this was a reminder that we are but one thread in a huge and fascinating tapestry. It was a privilege to witness a bit more of the whole picture – our international interest and focus will certainly continue in the new year.