A bottle of calvados Pays D'Auge

Calvados is an apple brandy from the French région of Lower Normandy. Image File history File links Calva_perejules. ... Image File history File links Calva_perejules. ... Species Malus domestica Malus sieversii Apple is the fruit (pome) of the genus Malus belonging to the family Rosaceae, and is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. ... A bottle of calvados Pays DAuge Brandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—burnt wine[1]) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Capital Caen Land area¹ 17,589 km² Regional President Philippe Duron (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ...

History

Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known Norman distillation was carried out by ‘Lord’ de Gouberville in 1554, and the guild for cider distillation was created about 50 years later in 1606. In the 17th century the traditional ciderfarms expanded but taxation and prohibition of cider brandies were enforced elsewhere than Brittany, Maine and Normandy. The area called ‘Calvados’ was created after the French Revolution, but ‘Eau de vie de cidre’ was already called ‘calvados’ in common usage. In the 19th century output increased with industrial distillation and the working class fashion for ‘Café-calva’. When a phylloxera outbreak devastated the vineyards of France and Europe, calvados experienced a ‘golden age’. During World War I cider brandy was made for armaments. The appellation contrôlée regulations officially gave calvados a protected name in 1942. After the war many cider-houses and distilleries were reconstructed, mainly in the Pays d'Auge. Many of the traditional farmhouse structures were replaced by modern agriculture with high output. The calvados appellation system was revised in 1984 and 1996. Pommeau got its recognition in 1991; in 1997 an appellation for Domfront with 30% pears was created. Charlemagne and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... Flag of Maine Location of Maine in France Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ... Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, family Phylloxeridae, superfamily Aphidoidea) is a serious pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Appellation dOrigine Contrôlée (AOC), which roughly translates as term of origin is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, by the government bureau Institut National des Appellations dOrigine (INAO). ... The Pays dAuge is an area in Normandy, straddling the départements of Calvados and Orne (plus a small part of the territory of Eure). ... Pommeau is an alcoholic drink made in northern France by mixing apple juice with apple brandy. ...

Process of fabrication

The fruit is picked and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider. It is then distilled into eau de vie. After two years aging in oak casks, it can be sold as Calvados. The longer it is aged, the smoother the drink becomes. Usually the maturation goes on for several years. A half-bottle of twenty-year-old Calvados can easily command the same price as a full bottle of ten-year-old Calvados. Cider in a pint glass Cider (or cyder) is an alcoholic beverage made primarily from the juices of specially grown varieties of apples. ... Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ... Eau de vie is a French term for a colourless brandy distilled from fermented fruit juice. ... Whiskey barrels at the Jack Daniels distillery Barrels for aging wine in Napa Valley An aging barrel is a barrel used to age wine or distilled spirits such as whiskey, brandy, or rum. ...

Double and single distillation

A calvados pot still

The appellation of AOC calvados authorizes double distillation for all calvados but it is required for the AOC calvados Pays d’Auge. Image File history File links Calva_still. ... Image File history File links Calva_still. ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ...

• Double distillation is carried out in traditional alembic pot-still -- called either ‘l'alambic à repasse’ or ‘charentais’. This process gives the spirit complexity and renders it suitable for longer aging.
• Single continuous distillation in a column still. It gives the calvados a fresh and clean apple flavour but with less complexity.

Producing regions and legal definitions

Map of the calvados region

Like most French wines, Calvados is governed by appellation contrôlée regulations. There are three appelations for calvados: Image File history File linksMetadata Map_aoccalvados. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Map_aoccalvados. ... A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ... Appellation dOrigine Contrôlée (AOC), which roughly translates as term of origin is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, by the government bureau Institut National des Appellations dOrigine (INAO). ...

• The AOC calvados area includes all of the Calvados, Manche, and Orne départements and parts of Eure, Mayenne, Sarthe, and Eure-et-Loir.
  • AOC calvados makes up for over 70 percent of the total production.
  • Minimum of two years ageing in oak barrels.
  • The terroir, geographical area, is defined.
  • The apples and pears are defined cider varieties.
  • The procedures in production like pressing, fermentation, distillation and ageing is regulated.
  • Usually single column distillation.

• The more restrictive AOC calvados Pays d'Auge area is limited to the east end of the département of Calvados and a few adjoining districts.
  • Extensive quality control - the basic rules for AOC calvados together with several additional requirements.
  • Ageing for minimum of two years in oak barrels.
  • Double distillation in an alembic pot-still.
  • Produced within the designated area in Pays d'Auge.
  • A minimum of six weeks fermentation of the cider.
  • Flavour elements are controlled.

• AOC calvados Domfrontais reflects the long tradition of pear orchards in the area, resulting in a unique fruity calvados. The regulation is similar to the AOC calvados and the column still is used.
  • A minimum of 30 percent pears from the designated areas is used.
  • A three-year minimum of ageing in oak barrels.
  • The orchards must consist of at least 15 percent of pear trees (25 percent from the sixteenth harvest).

• Fermier ‘farm-made’ calvados - some quality minded producers both inside and outside the Pays d’Auge make ‘calvados fermier’, which indicates that the calvados is entirely made on the farm in a traditional agricultural way according to high quality demands.

Visiting a small calvados producer around Cambremer along the cider route

For the apple brandy produced in the region, see Calvados (spirit). ... Manche is a French département in Normandy named after La Manche (the sleeve), which is the French name of the English Channel. ... Orne is a department in the northwest of France named after the Orne River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Eure is a département in the north of France named after the Eure River. ... Mayenne is a département in northwest France named after the Mayenne River. ... The Château de Boisclaireau, residence of the Gueroust family, Counts of Boisclaireau, in Sarthe. ... Eure-et-Loir is a French département, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. ... The Pays dAuge is an area in Normandy, straddling the départements of Calvados and Orne (plus a small part of the territory of Eure). ... Image File history File links Calva_visit. ... Image File history File links Calva_visit. ...

Grades of quality

The age on the bottle refers to the youngest constituent of the blend. A blend is often comprised of old and young calvados. Producers can also use the terms below to refer to the age.

• ‘Fine’, ‘Trois étoiles ***', ‘Trois pommes’ - at least 2 years old.
• ‘Vieux’ - ‘Réserve’ - at least 3 years old.
• ‘V.O.’ ‘VO’, ‘Vieille Réserve’, ‘V.S.O.P.’ ‘VSOP’ - at least 4 years old.
• ‘Extra’, ‘X.O.’ ‘XO’, ‘Napoléon’, ‘Hors d’Age’ ‘Age Inconnu’ - at least 6 years old. Often sold much older.

High quality calvados usually has parts which are much older than that mentioned. Calvados can be made from a single (generally, exceptionally good) year. When this happens, the label often carries that year.

Tasting

Calvados is the basis of the tradition of le trou Normand, or "the Norman hole". This is a small drink of Calvados taken between courses in a very long meal, sometimes with apple sorbet, supposed to re-awaken the appetite. Calvados can be served as aperitif, blended in drinks, between meals, as digestive or with coffee. Well-made calvados should naturally be reminiscent of apples and pears, balanced with flavours of ageing. The less aged calvados distinguishes itself with its fresh apple and pear aromas. The longer the calvados is aged, the more the taste resembles that of any other aged brandy. Older calvados get the colour of gold, darker brown with orange elements and red mahogany. The nose and palate is delicate with concentration of aged apples and dried apricots balanced with butterscotch, nut and chocolate aromas. A bowl of mango sorbet Sorbet (or sorbetto, sorbeto) is a frozen dessert made from iced fruit puree and other ingredients. ... Alternate meaning: Aperitif (record label) An ap ritif is an alcoholic drink usually enjoyed as an appetiser before a large meal. ...

Producers

• Calvados Busnel
• Père Magloire
• Christian Drouin Coeur de Lion
• Comte Louis de Lauriston
• Lecompte
• Manoir d'Apreval
• Calvados Pierre Huet
• Charles de Granville
• Calvados Roger Groult
• Chateau du Breuil
• Coquerel
• Boulard
• Dupont
• Ferme du Ponctey

Calvados in popular culture

In the 1963 novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming, James Bond drinks a glass of ten-year-old Calvados. On Her Majestys Secret Service is the eleventh novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, journalist and Second World War Naval Officer. ...

Calvados is the main characters' favourite drink in Erich Maria Remarque's novel Arch of Triumph. Erich Maria Remarque (June 22, 1898 – September 25, 1970) was the pseudonym of Erich Paul Remark, a German author. ... In the Arch of Triumph (1946), Erich Maria Remarque, the author of All Quiet on the Western Front, writes about stateless refugees life in Paris before World War II. The novel was originally published in German. ...

Calvados is often referred to in the writings of mystic George Gurdjieff. Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff (January 13, 1872 - October 29, 1949), the Greek-Armenian mystic and teacher of dancing born in Alexandropol, Armenia (then of the Russian Empire, now Gyumri, Armenia), traveled to many parts of the world (i. ...

Cornelius Bear is known to have a stash of several well-aged bottles of calvados in the webcomic Achewood. Achewood is an online comic strip created by Chris Onstad. ...

Inspector Maigret often stops in to a cafe for a glass of Calvados in Georges Simenon's novels and short stories. Jules Maigret, known as (Commissaire) Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a fictional police detective, created by writer Georges Simenon. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

On the album Us Against the Crown by State Radio, there is a song called "Calvados Chopper." It speaks of a man who is driving a motorcycle while "hopped up on Calvados." Us Against the Crown is the first full-length LP from reggae-rock band, State Radio, headlined by former Dispatch vocalist, Chad Urmston. ... State Radio is a rock band formed by former Dispatch member Chad Urmston in 2002 after Dispatch announced their indefinite hiatus (after about two years on hiatus, the band announced a break-up and a final show). ...

In Astérix et les Normands (Asterix and the Normans/Vikings), volume 9 of the popular Astérix comic books, Calvados is the national drink of the Vikings, and they are depicted drinking it out of the hollowed skulls of their dead enemies.

Literature

• Calvados - the world's premier apple brandy - tasting facts and travel by Henrik Mattsson. A first comprehensive report on calvados apple brandy in the English language.

The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

External links

• Normandy tourism site
• The cider route (and calvados) in Pays d'Auge
• Guide to calvados history, production, visiting, producers, literature and much more
• Apples, Cider and Calvados in Pays d'Auge, Normandy

See also

• Cider
• Applejack (beverage)
• Somerset cider brandy
• Pommeau