By Christine Salins.
As apples are to cider, so pears are to perry. Perry is made by allowing the juice of freshly squeezed pears to ferment with natural yeasts.
If you see a drink labelled pear cider, it almost certainly won’t be a perry – it will most likely be made from concentrate, and it will quite possibly even be apple cider with some pear juice added.
Genuine perry is a beautiful thing – light and refreshing and generally low in alcohol. It’s something of a national treasure in England, but it’s also made in parts of France, Canada, and other countries, including Australia.
Nick and Jannene Geoghegan, owners of Small Acres Cyder in Orange, NSW, take this beautiful drink one step further and make a Sparkling Perry by the méthode traditionnelle (traditional method).
This means taking the juice of fresh, locally grown (Orange region) pears and allowing it to mature on lees for up to 12 months before it is hand riddled and disgorged.
The process is a real labour of love and few producers do it. Yet the results speak for themselves. Their 2021 Small Acres Cyder ‘Sparkling Perry’ was recently awarded a gold medal at a competition in Japan.
“Japanese consumers look for the best products from around the world so it’s pleasing to receive this recognition among a large field of international ciders,” says a delighted Nick.
The inaugural competition for the Japan Cider Cup, held in Hachioji, Tokyo, attracted 102 entries from 12 countries. Entries are scored across three independent rounds of judging, involving Japanese consumers, food and drink professionals, and international cider experts.
Small Acres’ gold medal was one of only nine gold medals awarded to international entries.
Japan is an emerging cider market and one of the Geoghegans’ favourite places. “While we are a small regional producer, we recognise exports can be an opportunity to present our cider to a wider audience. Competitions like this, with consumer and expert involvement, is an insightful method to judge how our cider is accepted by the market,” says Nick.
2021 Small Acres Cyder ‘Sparkling Perry’, $29: So delicate, so refined … pure class. A light straw colour with a very fine mousse and very subtle pear aroma. Delicate and light with just 6.6% ABV (alcohol by volume). Beautiful purity of fruit and a lovely creaminess, finishing crisp and dry. We refrigerated it only lightly and found that a serving temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees C was perfect for appreciating its beautiful subtle flavour. Celebrating a special family occasion, we enjoyed it with a seafood feast of oysters, prawns, bugs and pan-fried ocean trout; it was a sophisticated and worthy match. It would make the perfect aperitif, and I reckon you could also enjoy it with an elegant dessert, especially one made with pears.
