Recently, I took one of the many bottles of cider we acquired in Normandy to a friend’s house as a pre-dinner aperitif. As a proud Breton she was quick – too quick some might say – to point out that cider from Brittany was superior to that of Normandy. A glass or two of a particularly good bottle from the Manoir de Grandouet farm, and even she had to admit that the Normans knew a thing or two about cider.
A typical Pays d’Auge farm, the Manoir de Grandouet is a third generation cider producer. Its glorious timber-framed buildings sit amidst rolling hills next to a pond in beautiful countryside perfect for dairy farming, and growing apples and pears. Next to the farm is the small but very pretty Church of Saint-Martin de Grandouet. It was our last stop on the 40-km circuit of the Route du Cidre. We left with several bottles.
Here we watched a film about the growing and harvest of apples, and the production of cider and calvados. The machine that shakes the apples from the tree was extraordinary, each apple tree endures a short but violent ‘earthquake’. The result is some very fine apple-based alcohol. As well as cider there is calvados, apple brandy distilled from cider and aged in oak barrels for at least two years.
The Route du Cidre links up several cider producers with some of the prettiest villages in the Pays d’Auge, all set in some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. The sun illuminated apple and pear orchards just as the trees were starting to blossom. All this greenery is a result of quite a lot of rain, but on a day like the one we had, there are few finer places to spend time discovering the region’s famed cider farms.
To say cider is taken seriously in these parts is an understatement. When we ordered a bottle that same evening while sat in a quiet square in Honfleur, it was served with all the pomp and ceremony of a fine bottle of wine. To be fair, it was delicious and had more subtly to its flavour than I’d ever imagined possible. We started our journey around the region at the Château du Breuil, a 16th century estate that distills calvados.
It was a bit early to be sampling the spirits – they also make a Norman whiskey here – but the walk through the grounds was pleasant and the château a fine example of traditional timber-framed building. We headed into the countryside – the route took us down small, narrow roads to reach some farms – and passed through Bonnebosq, a pleasant village with colourful timber-framed houses.
We arrived at the peaceful Ferme Desvoye in the tiny hamlet of Saint-Aubin-Lébizay for our first tasting of the day. We walked out of the bright sunlight into the dark interior of one of the timber-framed barns which had a collection of old barrels and equipment. A selection of bio and organic ciders accompanied us when we left. The gorgeous village of Beuvron-en-Auge was our next stop.
Fans of British artist-going-on national treasure, David Hockney, descend on Beuvron-en-Auge, a pretty spot with antique shops and cider producers. Hockney has lived here for several years and has documented his love for Normandy in his recent work. This include A Year in Normandy an exhibition created on his iPad. Beuvron-en-Auge is one of the ‘most beautiful villages in France‘, and lives up to that title.
Beuvron-en-Auge also has an autumn cider festival, which may just be the lure needed to return to this charming spot. We wandered around the village and then set off for the village of Cambremer and another calvados producer, Calvados Pierre Huet (still too early). The village is a bit larger and feels less touristy, but it’s a pretty place surrounded by lovely countryside. We pottered around before setting off on the final leg of our trip.
We passed through more pleasant-looking villages before finally arriving at the Manoir de Grandouet. The visit here left an impression, mostly because the tasting was run by the owner who was friendly and informative. The whole circuit had been fun though, and there were still plenty of other places we hadn’t visited for a return visit. We headed back to Honfleur, the car weighed down by all the appley goodness in the boot.
