January is a month for us to take a break and reflect - the busy days of harvesting and the holiday frenzy are over; the new vintage is slowly developing in tanks and barrels; and it's not yet time to get back out into the orchard for winter pruning. An opportunity to take stock and make plans for the coming season.
2025?
Something that is on our minds a lot: Where will we be this time next year? The lease on our small production space will expire this year and we desperately need something bigger. So far all our leads have come up empty. We need about 100 sqm at ground level with utility hookups within a 20km radius of Unterkirnach. Any suggestions are welcome!
We're also seeking a naturally cold storage space for our finished product, such as an underground cellar. Do you know of anything that might fit the bill?
Win some, lose some
Making natural wines with minimal intervention is inherently risky, no matter how careful and experienced you are. Of course there's the weather: late frost, cool summers, not enough or too much rain, hail ... we can't control any of these. But even after the harvest is secure, nature may have some surprises in store, this time on a microscopic level.
Fermentation depends on the interaction of a multitude of microbes. We can guide these processes, e.g. by adjusting pH level through judicious blending of fruit; keeping our equipment and vessels impeccably clean; controlling oxygen by aerating the ferment or sealing it in an airtight container. But there is only so much you can do, while still maintaining the essential character of the fruit. Also, fermentation of apples and pears isn't nearly as well researched and understood as grapes.
Things happen. 2023 we discarded the contents of 3 barrels - almost 700 liters. It breaks your heart to watch the cider pouring down the drain - so much time and effort wasted. What happened? We think the unusually warm fall of 2022 is to blame. This likely activated lactobacilli during the early stages of fermentations. Normally this does not happen until temperatures rise again in summer, when the primary fermentation is complete. The interaction of lactobacilli and yeasts produced THP: a substance that has an unpleasant taste in even minute concentrations.
Every problem is a learning opportunity. We'll certainly be monitoring things very closely going forward to prevent a reoccurrence. Thankfully, temperatures were seasonably cool this past year. You can rest assured that we only bottle cider and perry that we love to drink ourselves. We much prefer to destroy an entire batch, than to offer a substandard product.
1785 on the go
End of February we'll be travelling to London to participate in an industry tasting. We'll be pouring samples for trade and gastronomy, along with about a dozen other producers. We are honored to have been invited. It's wonderful that UK cider professionals are curious about our work here in the backwaters of the Black Forest. Yes, we're a little nervous too. But mainly we are very curious to receive their feedback; and we can't wait to showcase the unique flavors and exceptional quality of our local fruit. Black Forest perry deserves to be known and appreciated in other countries too. Follow us on Instagram to see how we fare.
S'up in the "Halle"
Of course we've been busy in our "Halle", as we affectionately call our rather industrial production space. We just bottled the 2022 vintage of SPONTAN, our take on the tradition Black Forest farmstead cider. The previous vintage has been sold out for a while now. We can't wait to make this defining product available to you again. Another couple of months of bottle-conditioning, then it will be ready, just in time for the warmer days of spring.
The 2022 is a bit smoother than the previous vintage, thanks to the very warm summer we had that year. But as always, it is a refreshing, dry cider featuring the complex flavors of a wild yeast fermentation. The perfect pairing for a proper Black Forest charcuterie selection.
We are also busy with the Mistelle: Racking the 2022 vintage from the oak barrels in which it has been maturing for a year. It is now a beautiful and crystal clear amber. This is a delicate operation, since we must absolutely avoid disturbing the sediment. Like all of our products, we do not filter the Mistelle. Then it's time for bottling and backfilling with the new vintage.
We are enjoying the short, quiet days of the season. We hope you too had a great beginning of the year. And remember: Every season is cider season! |