By Christine Salins.
Nick Geoghegan at work in the cidery
Lower in alcohol than wine and lighter on the palate, cider sits perfectly with Australia’s alfresco lifestyle. It’s a harmonious match for a wide range of dishes.
Two of the world’s most famous cider regions, Somerset in England and Normandy in France, are also the home of famous cheeses – Cheddar and Camembert, respectively. You couldn’t go wrong pairing these and some crusty bread with cider.
The best ciders have good fruit acidity balanced with just a hint of sweetness. These work well with fatty and spicy dishes like pork belly, as the sweetness cuts through the richness of the dish. Pork sausages, roasts, grilled fish, smoked salmon and salad are also good matches.
Australian regulations around cider labelling are lax. Some producers have exploited this to sell flavoured ciders, not made from apples or pears as they would have been traditionally, but from syrups, concentrates, flavourings and colours.
With no requirement to outline specific ingredients on the label, it can be difficult to know what you’re buying. But if the label highlights a regional source for the fruit, the cider is much more likely to be real and fresh. Thankfully, there’s a flourishing craft cider scene in Australia, and you can have a lot of fun seeking out quality products.
Small Acres Heritage Blend
Small Acres Cyder is a premium craft cider producer in Orange, NSW. It was established in 2007 by folk who were frustrated at not being able to buy the traditional cider they knew from growing up in the UK. They planted the orchard with a wide selection of French and English cider apple varieties and set about making cider using authentic production methods.
New owners Nick and Jannene Geoghegan are continuing the vision. Nick took the reins prior to the 2021 harvest and hit the ground running. “It has been a challenging, but exciting 12 months,” he says. “The founders did a fantastic job establishing the brand as one of Australia’s premium cider makers and we’re looking forward to building on what they have achieved.”
The Geoghegans have already added a new product to the Small Acres stable. Heritage Blend is made from 100 per cent Orange-grown apples and combines the rich flavours of bittersweet French and English cider varieties, with the lightness of Australia’s Pink Lady apples.
“After the drought harvest of 2020, it was a relief to harvest the plentiful 2021 crop from our cider-apple orchard,” Nick says. “We saw this great chance to produce a cider that was both a traditional cider, but more accessible for our customers.”
Small Acres Norfolk Still
Heritage Blend joins others in the Small Acres stable, including a fortified cider, an award-winning Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling cider quaintly called Cats Pyjamas, and the excellent Norfolk Still Cider.
Small Acres has won a swag of industry awards – more than 130 at last count – and was named Best Small Producer at the Australian Cider Awards three years in a row (2017-19). It is the only Australian cider maker to have won both Champion Australian Cider and Champion Australian Perry awards at the Australian Cider Awards.
2021 Small Acres Heritage Blend: Light to medium bodied, 6% alcohol, a rich gold colour with inviting fresh apple and brioche aromas, crisp and refreshing with a little tartness. The perfect aperitif on a summer evening. It comes in a 330ml bottle, RRP $105 for a case of 24.
2020 Small Acres Norfolk Still: Without the bubbles that you might expect from cider, this is a medium-dry still cider to be drunk like a wine, albeit with less alcohol (8%). Similar to the style produced in the eastern counties of England, it has fresh red apple flavours and a crisp finish. Smooth and delicious. It comes in a 750ml wine bottle, RRP $19.50.
