Artisanal Cider Making in Normandy, France

Laurent Delaporte, of Emmanville near Rouen has always made cider with his grandfather's wooden press since he was a boy. He uses special apples from his father's small farm and also from some land he owns nearby. Making cider this way is very labour intensive. Most people use a hydraulic press that is brought from village to village, squeezing the juice out of the apples in a matter of minutes. Laurent prefers the old method, which takes a full day. The apple are crushed slowly, releasing less acidity, giving a better taste to the cider. Making cider this way takes all winter starting with the apple harvest in October and finishing with the bottling in April. He makes about 1500 bottles each year and sells them at local markets and through a shop.