Calvados: Normandy's Apple Brandy

From Orchard to Glass

In Normandy, where grapes won't ripen, apples rule. Calvados transforms cider into France's premier fruit brandy. Like wine regions, different areas produce distinct styles, from delicate and floral to rich and powerful.

Three Appellations

Calvados Pays d'Auge: The prestige zone - Double distillation in pot stills (like Cognac) - Most complex, refined style - Clay soils, traditional orchards - 2.5% of production

Calvados AOC: The broad appellation - Single column distillation allowed - Covers most of Normandy - Various styles - 70% of production

Calvados Domfrontais: Pear country - Minimum 30% pears required - Granite soils - Floral, delicate style - Growing recognition

Apple Heritage

- Over 200 apple varieties authorized - Bitter, bittersweet, acidic, sweet categories - Traditional orchards with tall trees - Often grazed by cattle below - Harvest from September to December

Age Classifications

Similar to Cognac: - Fine: 2 years minimum - Réserve/Vieux: 3 years - VO/Vieille Réserve: 4 years - VSOP: 4 years - XO/Hors d'Age: 6 years minimum - Vintage: Increasingly common

Leading Producers

Christian Drouin: The modernizer - Vintage Calvados pioneer - Cask finishes innovation - Pommeau de Normandie producer

Roger Groult: Traditional excellence - Pays d'Auge specialist - Old vintage library - Still family-run

Château du Breuil: Visitor friendly - Beautiful estate - Wide range - Educational approach