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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Invading Normandy



Hey everyone, a hearty how do you do from moist and drippy Normandy. Ended up here by a lucky roll of the dice as my friend was guiding a trip of WWII enthusiasts and needed a hand in sharing the weight. I graciously accepted the tour of duty and am happy to say that its over and all went home with a smile. Not much wine unfortunately in these parts as the weather is too cold and rainy to grow grapes but there are other things available for the intrepid drinker. Cider. Cider is made from apples grown in the region and can range from Doux, sweet; Demi-Sec, half dry; or Sec, dry. They're simple, refreshing, low in alcohol and really delicious. The one I had of note is pictured above, its a "cidre doux" from Philippe Daufresne. The wine was typical of all the cidre doux's that I have tasted: aromatic, sweet, light bodied with a spritzy, perrier-like quality. The differentiating factor in this drink is its overall balance. It had just a little extra edge of class over the others that I tasted and it left me in quite a happy state. Cider will never reach the highs that one would receive from drinking great Champagne or Burgundy nonetheless its place in the world of fermented produce is one of firm standing and should be discovered.