Victoria Cider Co. officially opened its cidery tasting room in August 2022 and since then, business has been blossoming as large as the apple trees.
Located on a five-acre property in North Saanich, the cidery tasting room is bright and light with natural and pastel colours, offering a selection of both traditional and modern flavoured ciders that can be found in more than 30 local liquor stores across Greater Victoria.
One of their most popular, arguably, and what really sets them apart, is their prize-winning keeved cider, which took home a bronze medal at the Portland International Cider Cup in 2022. The cider is only available in their tasting room.
香蕉视频直播淚t sells like hotcakes,香蕉视频直播� owner Wayne Ralph said.
Keeved cider is a traditional French-style cider with a sweetness Ralph described as a 香蕉视频直播渟oft and round香蕉视频直播� perception of butterscotch coming from malolactic fermentation. It is rare for cideries to touch it, mainly because it香蕉视频直播檚 time-consuming, particular and risky compared to making other types of ciders.
However, Ralph and his family knew they wanted to give it a shot from the start of creating their business, a lifelong dream which budded after a neighbour said their trees grew the best apples.
香蕉视频直播淲e learned from the get-go, as part of our research of getting into cider, that our favourite style of cider is French-style cider. During our investigations, we picked appropriate trees that would have the correct tannins and acid levels. Now we香蕉视频直播檙e harvesting the benefits of that.香蕉视频直播�
Ralph left his 30-year career as an engineer for BC Ferries to pursue cider, reaching a master香蕉视频直播檚 level training in the UK.
Ralph explained that a typical cider takes two weeks to ferment and is done in 18 C to 20 C temperatures.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 very easy to control, it happens naturally. While the ferment is happening, it香蕉视频直播檚 like you香蕉视频直播檙e simmering something on the stove. It almost looks as though it香蕉视频直播檚 boiling. So when that happens, you香蕉视频直播檙e basically boiling off the flavour.香蕉视频直播�
Meanwhile, a French-style cider is fermented at a really low temperature.
香蕉视频直播漈o capture the flavour, the French came up with this idea of fermenting the cider over a very, very long period of time 香蕉视频直播� five months.香蕉视频直播�
To slow down the fermentation process, keeved cider has to be fermented at a much cooler level 香蕉视频直播� about 6 C to 7 C, in Ralph香蕉视频直播檚 case. But the process can be quite nerve-wracking; there香蕉视频直播檚 a danger that fermentation can stop due to the cold, so Ralph has to check every few days for tiny bubbles on the surface to show that fermentation is still going.
No chemicals or yeast are used 香蕉视频直播� just the natural yeast of the apples.
香蕉视频直播淭he danger is, when you香蕉视频直播檙e checking it every week, when you go to take a sample, there香蕉视频直播檚 the potential of introducing bacteria that are airborne 香蕉视频直播� You can be four months into it and ruin the whole thing because you get bacteria in it. So you actually become quite paranoid, especially towards the end.香蕉视频直播�
Keeved cider is also carbonated. In order to get it bubbly, the cider needs to be bottled before it finishes fermenting.
In total, Ralph said it takes five months for the initial ferment and then two months for the carbonization, or 香蕉视频直播渂ottle conditioning香蕉视频直播� process.
If all goes smoothly, the Ralphs end up with around 98 cases of their premium keeved cider, making it well worth the risk.
香蕉视频直播淭here are only three other places in B.C. that make it,香蕉视频直播� Ralph said. 香蕉视频直播淔or us to be able to produce that style of cider in our first year, right at the get-go, we are pretty proud to have been able to do that.
香蕉视频直播淧eople appreciate the effort we go to. In the final analysis, quality wins every time, in my opinion.香蕉视频直播�
After a successful first year, Victoria Cider Co. opens again on May 5 and will run on weekends. This year, they also have a new quince cider, and have imported two oak barrels from Europe to make a new port cider and a sherry cider.
Visitors to the tasting room can lounge on a bright open lawn with picnic tables, willow trees and games. For more information, visit .
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