Cidre de Normandie I.G.P. wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

The Cidre de Normandie protected geographical indication covers historic Normandy and the small adjoining regions attached to it: the Perche, the Domfrontais, the Plaine d'Alençon and the Pays de Bray. It spans the whole of the Seine-Maritime, Eure, Calvados, Manche and Orne départements, together with bordering communes in the Oise, Eure-et-Loir, Mayenne and Sarthe. Normandy's bedrock is split between the Armorican Massif to the west and the Paris Basin to the east, under an oceanic climate that is mild and humid with no summer water deficit. These conditions favoured, from the Middle Ages onward, the planting of cider apple and perry pear orchards that had become, by the early twentieth century, the largest in France. The fruit used is classified by tannin and acid content into sweet, bittersweet, bitter, sharp and tart varieties; local growers, breeders and nurserymen selected and adapted them to Normandy's soil and climate, giving rise to a very large number of cider apple and perry pear varieties.

The wines of this appellation

Cidre de Normandie is a sparkling drink obtained by fermenting the must of cider apples and, on occasion, perry pears. Its colour, clear or slightly hazy depending on the degree of filtration, ranges from pale yellow to deep orange according to the varieties blended. On the nose it shows powerful, varied aromas dominated by fruit notes of apple, citrus, peach and apricot. On the palate it is known for its balance of bitterness, acidity and sweetness, carried by fine, gentle effervescence. Depending on how it is made, it comes as cidre doux, sweeter in style, cidre bouché bottled in a champagne-style bottle sealed with a mushroom cork, and in brut or demi-sec versions. A staple of Norman cuisine, it traditionally accompanies fish and shellfish, cider-based stews such as matelote, poultry and white meats, and soft-rind cheeses such as Camembert.