From the fields to the cellar
For many people, apple cider is a slightly alcoholic drink from northern Europe and typical of northern Spain. But the ancient custom of making wine from apples also has widespread roots in the Modena Apennines: roots long forgotten, but which have now been revived in our region.
Cider, also called apple wine, is a drink obtained from the alcoholic fermentation of apples and sometimes pears. Its alcohol content varies from 2 to 7 degrees, and it is a sparkling beverage with a sweetish or slightly bitter flavour, depending on the quality of the apples and the production methods used. It has a clear appearance and a golden yellow colour, but can have different shades, from orange to rosé. Apple cider is suitable for a wide variety of occasions, regularly consumed with meat, cheese or desserts.
The history of fermented apple juice
The first historical records of apple cultivation date back to the 13th century and come from Egypt and Asia Minor: Strabo and Pliny tell us that apple vinegar was used for healing purposes or as a thirst quencher. The Romans, on the other hand, much preferred wine, which they tried to produce in Britain, but with little success; so it was that Pomis juice spread widely, becoming the national drink of the peoples of northern France. It was then the Celts who promoted its consumption throughout Europe and gave the drink a ritual as well as a restorative value, consuming it on feasts days and at weddings. In the Middle Ages, Pomis juice was mainly consumed in monasteries and abbeys and, in hostels, prevalently during periods of famine or beer shortages.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the tradition of cider consumption also took root in the United Kingdom, France, especially in Brittany and Normandy, Portugal and Spain, especially in Asturias and the Basque Country.
In Italy, cider production was banned during the entire twenty-year fascist period because, in an autarkic perspective, the idea was to limit the concept of an Italian drink to wine only, thereby preventing further trade and contacts with Switzerland, Austria or France.
In the last decade, however, there has been a revival in cider production. More and more companies are bringing the drink out of the homely confines to which it had been relegated for so long, and presenting it as an Italian drink in its own right.
How apple cider is made
Cider is obtained from the natural fermentation of the fructose contained in apple juice: its preparation requires time and care and it is made using the same process employed for wine and beer.
In our region, apples are harvested from September until mid-October. Once harvested, they are pressed to extract the juice. The apples are then processed to a pulp called pomace, which in turn is transferred to cider presses for pressing. The traditional method involves alternating layers of straw and ash with layers of pomace, up to a maximum of 12 layers. This system minimises the risk of oxidation.
The juice thus obtained is then filtered and fermented in large steel vats at a temperature between 4 and 16 degrees. In spring, bottling begins and the cider can be left to continue fermenting in the bottle. At this stage, some local producers add the sugars from the apples by pouring the juice into the bottles. At this point, fermentation creates the sediment which must be separated from the cider using the disgorging à la volée (by hand) method: two more months in the bottle and the cider is ready to be enjoyed.
