2024年10月10日 法國諾曼地蘋果酒

來到Normandy ，一直在喝 cider 蘋果酒，覺得是近年喝到最美味的 cider，不甜，氣泡多，顏色和味道都似在喝香檳，只有4%酒精，多喝不上頭，售價四至八歐羅一瓶，平靚正，合心意。

喝了多個牌子，找到最喜歡的味道，就去參觀那酒莊，入貨帶回愛爾蘭，不再買香檳。更重要是自己也一直有做蘋果酒，用家園種的蘋果釀造，味道非常之平平，雞肋也。

於是參觀這酒莊，問清楚釀製方法，學習學習。法國人有這可愛處，你有心問，他們欣賞你懂得欣賞，十分願意分享方法，不會收收埋埋不想講。

由蘋果品種、收成、發酵、儲存方法等等，都解釋清楚，於是知道，自己永遠做不到那好滋味！

家園種的蘋果，以甜酸味、水份多、質感好、形態美麗為重點，而釀酒的蘋果，細隻、以香氣和單寧酸足為重，釀成的酒甜份消失後，留下芬芳香氣和清酸滋味。

氣泡多，因為一直在密閉壓力下發酵、過濾、入瓶，是天然發酵時的氣袍，不是往後加入，且以十來度低溫慢慢發酵兩、三個月，味道才會豐富。不斷改善釀造方法，是這區cider 酒莊成功的地方。

心想，由有機種植蘋果到入瓶出售，工夫之多，機器設備何其複雜，味道比美香檳，而只要八歐羅一瓶，真的超值，抬了廿四瓶回家慢慢嘆。

Normandy France tour 9/9 traditional food

 

Pork skin pate, pressed beef cheek, intestines sausages, tripe stew, liver pate….. traditional food is still available and well appreciated in France.

 

 

Normandy France tour 8/9 Cider and Calvados tasting

No just we learn a lot from visiting the cider and calvados production houses, it is also a pleasure to wander around the grounds of these multi-generations family business, with the old buildings in great conditioins.
 

Calvados is distilled cider, with an alcohol content over 40%, aged in various oak casks like sherry, whiskey, port etc for the colour and rounded deep flavor.

 Christian Drouin::

 

 

 Cider is made from special cider apples that have a lot of fragrance and tannin, most houses have a mix of over 30 types, fermented at arond 15˚c for 2 to 3 months, for the rich flavor, bottled under pressure so that it is very bubbly like champagne on opening, with only 4% alcolhol.

Dupont:

Normandy France tour 7/9 Cheese tasting

Met rainy weather while in the Pays d'Auge area, the best thing to do is go round the cheese area to visit museum and production houses, with tasting of course. 

Camenbert

Camenbert

Camenbert

Camenbert

Liverot

 

cheese tasting paired with a sharp cider

 

Normandy France tour 6/9 Pays D’Auge

It is ust a bit north east of Swiss Normandy, has totally different characters, gentle low hills with many apple orchards and dairy farms, houses with exposed timber structures, very homely feel, no fortification nor castle in the area.

It is the key production area of Normandy cheeses, Camembert, Liverot, Pont l’Eveque and Neufchâtel, all named after the town, and also cider and calvados from apple.

The villages here are all very charming, lovely to wander around, but lack the history and grandeur of Swiss Normandy area.

Blangy le chateau:

 

Beuvron en Auge:

Beaumont en Auge, situated on top of a hill, with a panorma view of the area from town center:

Grilled camenbert with truffle, so simple yet so morish:

Normandy France tour 5/9 Bagnoles de l’Orne

 

A spa town with very different atmosphere then the rest, grand buildings, wide roads, lake in the middle and long walking path around. A place with a long history of having visitors for health benefits. 

 

 

A  great loop walk in Gorges de Villiers, just 2.5km, from the hill top down to river, along the river and back up the hill. In an hour, saw glacier rocks piles, pretty water with nice small bridges, dense forest and dairy cow pasture, really worth the small effort. 

Normandy France tour 4/9 Lassay les chateaux

 

A small town famous for having 3 chateaux, once, now only one is still standing. It is a small chateau, but still surrounded by fortified walls and 8 towers, in perfect condition, and lived in.

The town is pretty with many plant pots, hanging baskets and flowering corners everywhere.