Snow First 2014 - Ice Cider
In the fall, the apples are harvested very ripe and kept cool until the end of December. Once winter arrives, the fruit is pressed and the juice obtained is placed outside in the cold weather of January. By crystallizing, the water separates from the sugars, by natural cryoconcentration. After a few days of intense cold, the concentrated must, representing a quarter of the initial amount of juice, is collected by gravity. The nectar is then placed in stainless steel vats, where it ferments for at least 6 months, at low temperature, before finally being bottled. Inspired by the process of making ice wines and the unique climate of Quebec, Ice Cider is born from the Quebec terroir. Extreme winter temperatures are required to obtain the concentration of sugars necessary for its realization. Christian Barthomeuf is the inventor of the Ice Cider recipe. It is with him as a mentor that François Pouliot of the Domaine Neige (formerly known as The Hidden Face of the Apple) has contributed to develop the two now recognized processes: cryoconcentration (for the autumn harvest) and cryoextraction (for the winter harvest). In both cases, it is a question of concentrating the sugars of the apple by the natural cold of the winter.