Australian Cider Awards an Orange-first
Article from ABC Central West NSW.
There's a real buzz in the Central West about the apple ale at
the moment, as the Australian Cider Awards have just been held in
Orange. The event attracted over 90 entrants from every state in
Australia, and international competitors from France, Wales,
Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.
The judges included wine columnist Max Allen, freelance writer
Willie Simpson, brewer Neal Cameron, and Australia's First Lady of
beer, Kirrily 'beer diva' Waldhorn.
While the cider industry in Australia has been around since the
gold rush, there is only one established, and one emerging producer
in the Central West.
But the ciders producers in the region are hoping to form a
producers group.
NSW Department of Primary Industries [DPI] technical officer and
cider enthusiast, David Pickering, says there is a great
opportunity for local apple growers to get involved in this growing
industry.
"We have a total of 30 cider apple varieties which the grower
can find locally without importing budstock form overseas," he
says.
"With names like Antoinette, Belle Cauchoise, Blanchet,
Clozette, and French Crab we clearly have a good representation of
French varieties for those who want to explore French cider
styles."
Kirrily Waldon says that as a judge she is "looking for balance
in the cider."
"There is a difference in the taste of the French and English
ciders, and the colour is determined by the type of apples used,"
she says.
And it's not all just about your standard bitter and sweet
varieties, according to Mr Pickering says.
"We now have cider varieties which could be used to expand the
traditional range of sweet, bittersweet, sharp and bitter sharp
flavours as well as filing gaps in the harvest calendar.
He says, "Tannin levels vary and there are choices of varietal
ciders and blends, oaked and unoaked ciders - it really depends on
what the markets wants."
The Australian Cider Awards winners were:
BEST IN SHOW:
Henney's Cider Co of Herefordshire UK for 'Henney's Dry Cider'
[entered by Phoenix Beers of Perth, West Australia]
BEST AUSTRALIAN CIDER:
CUB Matilda Bay - for 'Dirty Granny' [entered via Liquid Ideas,
Sydney]