Apple wine

Classical cider is an apple juice wine which is received by its fermentation without addition of yeast. At first sight everything is very simple – apples began to ferment, wine turned out. But the ancient Normans who invented this drink made thrifty use of its production very much and used for this purpose the best grades of apples which grew up in special apple orchards. And, they used acid, sweet and bitter grades of apples in a certain proportion.

Cider gained the greatest distribution in Spain where there were always enough apples. Spaniards consider that apple wine at them appeared thanks to the Spanish seamen. Long time they were in swimming, and they did not have fresh water. Instead of it they drank apple juice which during the long travel in itself turned into wine. This apple juice wine lightened the mood and left the head clear.

In Spain cider is so loved that use it instead of water and believe in its medicinal properties, considering that it brings slags out of an organism.

In Russia apple wine was done too. From reliable sources it is known that the empress tasted it in 1890 and was from it lost in admiration. However at the time of the Soviet power cider practically disappeared.

Stronger apple wine under the name Apple Jack is more widespread in America.

Statistically, today cider is most widespread in France, and also in some regions of Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

How do apple juice wine?

Cider is done in the same way, as well as any wine on the basis of berries, except for some specifics. For example, apples cannot allow to be oxidized therefore producers of wine constantly clean mill knives for cleaning of fruit. At first apples crush and squeeze out juice which some time has to infuse. After juice pour in wooden barrels, put them sideways and leave approximately for 5 weeks for fermentation. Everything, after that cider is ready. Store apple wine at a temperature slightly above zero. Fortress at apple wine about 5-8 turns. Before pouring it on bottles, it will be pasteurized and clarified.

Traditionally barrels for cider do of an oak, and in each cover from a barrel do a special small opening. Otherwise in a hole he will not get through this opening for the washerman of barrels who has to be high and thin. Washermen make all work manually without use of chemistry.

Today cider is considered sparkling wine and often he is trained on various technologies. Happens that it is artificially enriched with carbonic acid by a shampanization method, or support it with cognac before increase in turns to 9-10%. The more contains in cider alcohol, the better in it big concentration of carbonic acid remains.

Apple juice wine is poured in thick bottles and for secondary fermentation, adding to them solution of the refined sugar. If to add 8 g of sugar, then the weakest cider, 12 g – average, 16 g – the strongest and sparkling cider turns out. Wine in such bottles several months then start a remyuazh ferments – bottles put almost vertically necks down, and every day turn them near vertically axes. It leads to what yeast and all deposit gathers below on a stopper. Process of a remyuazh lasts about a month two then bottles are moved in the cool room where they carry out disgorge – removal of a deposit from cider.

Disgorge – process too quite interesting. The worker takes a bottle for a neck the left hand, turns it almost horizontally and by means of nippers or a hook pulls out a stopper until it under the influence of carbonic acid is not pushed out together with the deposit sitting on it. At this moment the worker has to manage to turn quickly a bottle a neck up then transfers it to other worker for dosing.

Dosing happens by a dolivka of the turned-out apple wine a certain amount of liqueur. It becomes with the purpose to fill losses of wine as a result of disgorge, and also for giving to wine of fortress and sweet.

Traditions and consumption of apple wine

It is considered that as a wine basis apple can safely compete with grapes. Spain and France appreciate cider on advantage. Especially the French province the Calvados where carefully keep the recipe of its production a secret is famous for production of cider and descend only.

And nevertheless less frequently in these countries apple juice wine is used as independent drink. Even more often its began to use as a basis of apple brandy. For this purpose wine is overtaken twice, and the received apple alcohol is infused in wooden barrels by not less than two years.

But here in Europe cider, on the contrary, gains the increasing popularity as it, first, is cheaper than some champagne, and secondly, on tastes not only does not concede, but sometimes and surpasses it.

Taste at apple wine can be made the most various – sweet, acid, dry. In many respects it depends on a grade of apples and proportions. All categories of citizens can drink apple wine – from small children to very old men (for children do nonalcoholic cider).

Often cider is served to time of the presentations and holiday receptions as replacement to champagne. For example, in Normandy, there is even an award of Experts on cider. Annually his members dress medieval dresses and gather in small vegetable marrows – sidreriya – for tasting of drink and reception of new members of society.

Here several traditions concerning preparation and consumption of wine from apple juice:

• The real gourmets respect only that cider which is poured on bottles manually;
• From a bottle pour only six glasses of cider, at the same time the bartender raises a hand with a bottle highly up, and the glass with cider holds below;
• Splashes out the last straws of cider drinking surely on a floor.