Perche cider

Cidre du Perche

What it is

Frost is common in the Perche into May and June, so growers have favoured late-flowering varieties, whose fruit also ripens later; the commonest are Bedan, Tardive de la Sarthe and Fréquin rouge, and milling may not start before 15 October; most of it happens from mid-November, when the cold slows fermentation and lets the aromas build. That fermentation runs without added yeast for at least eight weeks before bottling, against six elsewhere in Normandy, and six more in the bottle make the sparkle.

In the kitchen

It is closed with a mushroom cork over at least 1.5 bar of pressure, so hold the cork as you ease it out. In the kitchen the brut replaces white wine for rabbit or chicken with apples.

Goes with

Pork Black pudding Rabbit Chicken Apple Cream Camembert

Same species

Apple Calvados Cornouaille cider Cotentin cider Pays d'Auge cider Mostarda di Mantova

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