Cider growers Calvados

Along the pretty roads of Auge, you must stop here! Père Jules was born just after the First World War, when Jules Desfrièches was selling cider from the Auge region to Le Havre. After the farm cider, Jules started distilling to make Calvados. The reputation and excellence of the beverage are passed on by word of mouth, from generation to generation. Today, Guillaume is the fourth to carry the family flag. Calvados from 3 to 40 years old, cider, pommeau and perry: give in to the temptation of a tasting.

An essential producer on the Cider Route! It is impossible to pass through Cambremer without visiting one of the most beautiful and ancient cider cellars in Normandy, founded in 1865 by François Huet. The techniques have evolved, the installations too, but the recipe remains the same, rich in know-how and ancestral transmission. If you want to know more about cider and calvados, this is the place to be! Then head for the shop, where precious beverages (AOC-AOP Pays d'Auge cider, AOC Pays d'Auge calvados...) are waiting for you.

In the heart of Bessin, three kilometres from Omaha-Beach, Ferme du Lavoir is a gourmet stop on the tour of the d-day beaches. Miryam and Guillaume Capelle took over this cider-producing exploitation of thirteen acres orchards, four years ago, in 2010, turning to a resolutely organic agriculture. All products come from apples of orchards leads in respect of the fauna and flora surrounding, combining traditional methods and modern techniques with the same concern of relaxing all the flavours of apple. The range is made consists of a semi-dry cider (assembly of eight sweet, bittersweet and acid varieties), typical of the region of Bessin, marked by freshness and the fruity touch unusual and raw cider (assembly of sweet, bittersweet and bitter varieties), marked by a more pronounced bitterness. Thanks to a cellar, natural plugs foam are particularly well controlled. A know-how noticeable every year with the competition the Saint-Jean of the Ciders organised by the Maison Cidricole de Normandie where Ferme du Lavoir was awarded a silver medals in 2011, 2012 and 2013, especially for its semi-dry cider with the delicate mousse and very fine effervescence.

Along the way, don't miss La Sapinière. A visit to the estate, from the orchards to the cellars, is a fascinating immersion in the heart of a family history lovingly perpetuated for six generations. Regularly awarded laurels at regional competitions, the estate's production includes four nectars: cider, the flagship product, pommeau, calvados and apple juice. There's a cider for every palate, available in four cuvées: demi-sec, brut, "Verger du littoral" and, at the top of the bill, the special "Rivage du Bessin" cuvée, star of La Sapinière.

South of Lisieux, in the heart of the Auge region, Cyril Zangs' estate opens its doors by appointment. Six hectares of tall apple trees and the man who is considered to be the natural winemaker of cider production await you. Cyril Zangs has been in the cider business for several generations and now makes "complex ciders without complexes". His key words: know-how, rigor, uncompromising quality, and his brand: Cidre 2 Table, born in 2003. To be discovered!

The Domaine de la Flaguerie is certainly the one where you will be told the most beautiful stories. Stories of apples, of course, because they are cultivated here with love over decades We will talk to you, also, about organic farming: since 1998 - already 20 years! -that is the one that we are putting forward. The visit of Ducy Vergers, created in 1835, is exciting and playful at a time, illustrated with a video-video regularly updated. Will you guess the number of kilos of apples needed to make a liter of cider? Or what material are the cider tanks made of? All of these questions will be answered with the greatest of passions. At the end of the visit, rich of new knowledge and great respect for the profession, we press in the shop for a tasting, first and then shopping. Cider, apple juice, of course, but also calvados aged in oak barrels, pommeau, marmalade, frozen and vinegar and the famous "44" based on calvados, orange liqueur and coffee beans, fragrant of five cloves. It's hard to take everything. You will need to come back or order online!

Stéphane and Lucille Grandval will be delighted to introduce you to this superb Augeron estate, rich in history. Here, know-how has been passed down for three generations. It was Yvon, the grandfather, and his producer friends who created the Syndicat des producteurs du Cru de Cambremer and the Route du Cidre. A detour is therefore essential to discover the site, its timber-framed buildings, some of which (cellar and press) date from the 16th century, and the 20 or so varieties of apples grown: AOC Pays d'Auge cider, AOC pommeau, AOC Pays d'Auge Fine calvados, Hors d'Age...