French Cider Tour: September 22 – September 28, 2024
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Normandy & Brittany
Normandy is renown for its cider, while Domfrontais prizes the mighty and ancient (300 year old) pear trees. Both areas produce cidre (cider), poire (perry), Calvados (distilled cider or in the case of Domfrontais distilled perry and cider) and Pommeau! Pommeau is a blend of apple juice and Calvados that has to be aged at the minimum of 18 months in specific oak casks.
Brittany to the south of Normandy is equally a magnificent cider producing region and has its own special twist on ciders and distilled cider based products.. We are planning to dip over the border for a taste of Bretagne!
Tour Overview
Sept 22th : Arrival and stay in Paris
- This night is on your own. I recommend taking a boat ride to view the Eiffel tower or a visit to the Cider Bar – La Cidrerie!
Sept 23th : Off to Normandy!
2 Cidery visits today!
- Domaine Marois with Antoine Marois
- Domaine Dupont with Etienne Dupont
This evening we stay in the harbor town of Honfleur. Agathe Letellier of Manoir d’Apreval will join us for a Cider Dinner at the hotel! Agathe represented the Department of Calvados these past couple of years and is an exemplary maker!
Sept 24th : Free morning in Honfleur
2 Cideries visited today!
- Visit & lunch at Manoir d’Apreval with Agathe Letellier. Lunch is a traditional Norman Buffet!
- In the afternoon we visit Manoir de Montreuil with Patrice Giard. This family has oak casks (huge casks) dating back to the 1700’. They do not do public tours, so this is a very special visit with Patrice.
Cider Dinner with Étienne Dupont of Domaine Familial Louis Dupont
Legendary family and the Master Blender/Distiller Étienne Dupont will dine with us this evening at the 5 Star Hotel and Michelin Star restaurant Ivan Vautier. Chef Vautier will oversea this experience. In addition to the Michelin rating, the restaurant has also been awarded 3 toques Gault & Millau.
- listen to Episode 266: Calvados Tasting with Étienne Dupont
Sept 25th : Tour at the Musee du Poiré
- We will have lunch outdoors and a tour! Pick an apple or pear fresh from the tree! Purchase Cider, Perry, Calvados and Pommeau in the gift shop!
- After a picnic at the Musee we will head to Mont-Saint-Michel
- On the way we will get a spectacular view (weather permitting) of M-S-M while at the Moidrey Mill. This is a classic windmill that one would see in Belgium and the Netherlands. If you have never been in a working windmill, you are in for a treat. We will have a demonstration of the windmill in action. This tour will require climbing up the spiral stairs and seeing the giant wooden cog wheels turning!
- Dinner will be held overlooking Mont-Saint-Michel
- Then off for a two night stay in Saint-Malo in Brittany, a spectacular coastal city.
Sept 26th
- Free morning in Saint-Malo
- Lunch on your own
- Brittany adventure in the afternoon
- Tour and Visit with producer Jehan Lefèrve
- Fromagerie – cheese shop
- Chateau du Guildo – lets have some cider and snack on cheese while we explore the Chateau
- Guests can head off for an adventure in the afternoon or chose to stay in Saint Malo this day
- Dinner on your own this evening
Sept 27th : Off to Domfrontais, the land of Perry Pears!
- Cidery visits – A Calvados stop with a Poire Ferme (Perry Farmer)
- A tour with Jacques Perritaz La Ciderie Vulcain
- Jacques has moved to Domfrontais from Sweden. Note the website below has not been updated
- Cider Dinner a la Eric Bordelet Ciders and Poire!
Sept 28th : Free morning in Bagnoles-de-l’Orne
- Grab some chocolates, cheese and souvenirs in this picturesque town.
- There is a shop that sells Bordelet ciders and has his cider on tap!
- Picnic lunch at the Château de Carrouges’s orchard. This is a national park. The Château has splendid gardens to walk about. Think fairytale. 🙂
- We return to Paris and you have this evening on your own.
Included:
- 7 nights – if you would like a list of the hotels please send an email to info@ciderchat.com
- 7 breakfasts,
- 5 Lunches (some hot and some picnics)
- 4 Dinners
Not included:
- Air Fare
- Airport transfers to Paris Hotels
- 3 dinners on own
- 2 lunches on your own
- purchases of gifts, cider products to have with lunch
Register
- Contact info@ciderchat.com to register for the next cider tour today!
Need more info? Contact info@ciderchat.com
