Although it is especially popular in this period of "galette des rois", cider deserves to be tasted more often than not.

This drink with its millenary history, resulting from the fermentation of apple juice, tries to compete with the beer in the bars. It even tries to make its way to your table, to accompany a meal.

Yes, cider is much more than fermented apple juice! The apple is to cider what the grape is to wine. And if each grape variety influences the aromatic properties of wine, the same applies to cider where each variety of apples has its own character. Some cider producers have even become masters in the art of assembling different varieties of apples.

As with wine, cider can be "quiet", ie not sparkling. But it is much more popular in its effervescent form. There are several ways to make a sparkling cider, but if you are looking for the reference "cidre bouché traditionnel", you already have the guarantee of a qualitative method.

In France, producers have ushed this qualitative framework even further, with the establishment of several "Appellations d'Origine Protégée", the "A.O.P." for the intimate! The best known are A.O.P. "Cidre Pays d'Auge"in Normandy, or the A.O.P. "Cidre de Cornouaille"in Brittany.

While the main cider-producing countries are located in Europe, Québec also stands out with quality production, particularly in The Laurentians region.

Domaine du Petit Saint-Joseph, in St-Joseph-du-Lac, produces a particularly interesting cider. The cuvée "Minotaure" is a traditional "cidre bouché" with a nose that is both elegantand warm, reminiscent of aromas of applesauce, honey and caramel. In the mouth, the bubble is crisp, the acidity vivid and the texture almost fat, with a weak but sufficient perception of residual sugar. Forget the pancake, and dare this cider with a caramelized filet of pork with apples, a merely magic match!