Cider and Perry from Normandy

Although Normandy was a wine-producing region in the 12th and 13th centuries, it is obviously famous today for a different nectar than wine. Wine production, now extremely marginal, has been replaced by cider and perry production. Normandy is now the leading cider producer in France. Cider was introduced to Normandy in the 6th century by the Basques. Its production increased considerably from the 13th century onwards thanks to the invention of the press. Normandy has six cider AOCs (appellations d'origine contrôlée) which guarantee the quality of the products through a selection of regional apple varieties and strict management of production methods: Calvados, Calvados Pays d'Auge, Calvados Domfront, Cidre Pays d'Auge, Pommeau de Normandie, and Poiré Domfront.

Normandy's cider orchards produce between 300,000 and 350,000 tons of cider apples each year, only a portion of which is processed by manufacturers. Another part of the fruit is used for family cider production or for artisanal or farm processing.

Traditional orchards are mainly found in two geographical areas: the Pays d'Auge and the Bocages Normands (southern Manche and the Bocages of Calvados and Orne). The area covered by these plantations is tending to shrink considerably in favor of specialized orchards, or low-stem orchards, particularly since the storm of December 1999, located in Calvados and serving a more industrialized production.