Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil with Patrice Giard
In this episode: Patrice Giard is recorded during the Totally Cider Tour to Normandy France in September 2018. The upcoming 2024 French Cider Tour will be making a stop at this ciderie.
- Patrice is a 13th generation cidermaker at this family farm.
- Patrice, his wife and his daughter are running the farm. His daughter’s focus has been on the cows and milk production with Patrice focusing on the cider production, but she is now moving into taking on the cidery full time.
- The trees in the orchard that we were walking in were planted in 1996.
Apples tasted during this recording
- Domaine du Calvados also known as De Clou
- Bisque
- Frequin Rouge
Orchard at Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil
- 30 hectares of orchards on a 120 hectare farm
- Standard size trees
- The orchard management is to prunes the apples trees every three years.
- The orchards itself has 50 different varieties
- As required by the appellation of Pays d’Auge Patrice needs to have a map of the apple varieties in the orchard
- Patrice does not use any pesticides on his orchards.
Orchard management tip:
When Patrice notices insects on the trees, he lets the cows in the orchard to graze and they will scratch their bodies on the trees and in turn knock off the insects.
While standing in the oak barrel room I asked ‘What is the minimum time that the barrels stay empty” The reply is that “There is no reason to keep the barrels empty” 🙂
