“Do what?” my spouse, the Wine Snob, says to me.

“Let’s drive around Normandy and taste the different ciders … just like we do wine tasting in Burgundy and Bordeaux,” says I, who, admittedly, is a bit of a wine snob as well.

“I don’t like apple juice,” the W.S. replies.

“Do you like grape juice?” I asked.

“Noooooo.” He scowls, realizing where I am going with this logic.

“But, you like wine, which is grape juice, so you just might like cider. Come on, say yes." I plea.

“Can I say ‘no’?” he asks.

“Nope.”


“Can I sit in the car?” he asks.
“Nope.”

And, so off we go to Normandy to taste and learn about ciders.

We take a quick train from Paris to Rouen (just an hour away) and enjoy the capital of Normandy for a couple of days. Then, off to Bayeux where we are bewitched by the Bayeux Tapestry (which is really embroidery) with its detailed pictures illustrating the story of how William the Bastard became William the Conquer.

We are smack in the middle of cider country. There is a marked cider route with signs saying “Route du Cidre” with a picture of an apple. This route is about 40 kilometers long (that’s about 25 miles if you’re metric challenged), and it passes by many of the "AOC Pays d'Auge" cider producers. To qualify, the cider must be produced following strict regulations and following a traditional technique. Not only will you find cider, you will usually find Pommeau (a Normandy aperitif), and Calvados (a Normandy liqueur) at the same producers.

So, imagine a perfect autumn day with a warm sun and a hint of crispness in the air. Alas, my mind’s eye did not match the reality of awakening to a gloomy, rainy day. We decide to start off visiting the D-Day beaches, and then spend the afternoon cider tasting.
The clouds, rain and wind enhance the contemplative mood we experience in witnessing Omaha and Utah Beach and the surrounding geography associated with the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944.

On the way back to our base in Bayeux, we are in the proper frame of mind for a distraction to dull the ghosts of the ‘Great War.’ Yes, toasting to the fallen heroes from 1944 with some Normandy cider seemed appropriate and spirit lifting as well.

Rather than head over to the official Cider Route, we take the Serendipity Route, stopping at whim. Orchards of apple trees with branches swollen with ripening fruit line the back roads and beckon us to stop at several cideries along our route. The cider is great! Even us wine-snobs find it surprisingly tasty … like a mild and not so hoppy beer. We particularly like the Pommeau aperitif, which is made by mixing the Calvados liqueur with the cider. Spouse likes them both, but the 42% brandy-like liqueur is too strong for my taste. Just as with wine, each of the producer’s cider products has a unique taste based on how they grow, harvest, mix apple varieties, ferment, and bottle their brew. On this bleak weekday in off season, we didn’t encounter any other cider tasters, and the cider-makers are welcoming and generous in sharing their knowledge about their craft. Unfortunately, they speak little English, and we speak even ‘littler’ French, so I’m sure we miss lots of nuances.

One interesting tidbit – the apples are not harvested until they fall to the ground and then a ‘scooping’ machine (it likely has a more technical name, which I didn’t get) collects them in big piles where they are readied for pressing.

So, did the wine snob like cider? Yes, absolutely. Would he drink it instead of wine? No, absolutely not. Would he drink the Pommeauas aperitif? Yes, for sure. How about the Calvados on a cold, winter night? You bet he would. Did we buy some bottles to accompany us on the rest of our trip in France? But, of course.

So, next time you are in Normandy, don’t forget to go cider tasting!

You can get more information about the Cidre Trail at their official website at
http://calvados-tourisme.info/loisirs/route-cidre_gb.php

General information about Normandy at http://www.normandie-tourisme.fr/normandy-tourism-109-2.html

La Ferme du Lavoir Cidery information at http://fermedulavoir.free.fr