FERME VARD

The farm in the Vexin Normand, 11 kilometres from Vernon and 36 kilometres from Evreux, has a history for those who love hearing about a good glass of cider. La Ferme Vard was purchased at the Hospice of Vernon in 1925 by Louis Renault (yes, yes, the car manufacturer) in exchange for another farm operated by Antoine Vard at the time. Over time, life has passed, and orchards were planted in 1990 on the current site of the operation. The 1,400 low-stem trees and their 13 varieties of apples (Sweet Grand, Sweet Moen, Bedan, Clos Renaux, Binet Rouge, Marie Menard, Petit Yellow, Kermerrien, Putting, Juliana, Judor, Avrolles, and Fréquin) have borne fruit, enabling the development and marketing of a cider, which has now been awarded at regional competitions, the Apple at the Andelys. Manufactured in an artisanal way, the house cider comes from a 75% blend of bittersweet and sweet apples, 15% bitter apples, and 10% acidic apples.