Cider apples come in a wonderful array with hundreds of shapes, colours and sizes. Each variety brings its own distinct character to cider. If you respect the natural alchemy of cider-making, allowing enough time for the flavour notes to slowly reveal themselves, we believe that each cider apple has a unique song to sing.
Making cider from fresh juice, there is one production each year, which starts when the fruit is harvested in the autumn. We are 100% committed to this juice and have just one opportunity to make a vintage of delectable ciders and perries for the following year.
We add winemakers' yeast to the fresh juice and it is stored in the barn where it slowly ferments. You can hear it bubbling away, slower and quieter when the temperature drops in deepest winter.
As the first blossom is finally appearing on the apple trees, the cider in the barn is racked off into a new vessel for a secondary fermentation. This last stage gives smoothness and balance to the cider, by which the full complexity of flavour can shine through.
Great cider is a timeless joy to us at Apple County. We make real cider and perry from 100% freshly pressed juice. Each cider is make from a single variety of bitter-sweet apples all grown in local orchards. We approach cider-making with all the skills and reverence of a traditional winemaker, allowing the distinctive flavours of each variety to develop through a slow, cool fermentation.
Our ciders and perries have won acclaim from chefs, critics, writers, and foodies alike. Valentine Warner, Oz Clarke and Pete Brown have all expressed their appreciation for Apple County Cider. In 2015 & 2016 we won the prestigious Golden Fork for Wales at the Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards and scooped more stars again in 2017 & 2018.
Our cider is made in Monmouthshire. This lush county is nestled between the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is peppered with historic castles.
The fertile red earth of this area is rich in iron, and the micro-climate on the farm means cold, cleansing winters and a warm growing season. All these things keep the apple trees happy, producing bountiful fruit with great flavour.
Apple County Cider is run by Business Partners Ben Culpin and David Jarrett.
Ben's stepfather Jimmy started in the 60's to grow apples under contract to a national cider-maker. Jimmy laterly experimented with making his own real cider and encouraged Ben to join him. In 2008 Ben answered his calling and decided to move back to Monmouthshire and become a full-time cider maker, Ben is incredibly passionate about cider and has always been a cider-drinker, in 2014 Apple County Cider was born.
We want to put this special place - Monmouthshire, the apple county of Wales - back on the map for producing some of the finest cider in the world.
No festival attendance planned at the moment.
Please check back soon!
THE FARM SHOP IS OPEN FOR TAKEAWAY ONLY - PLEASE ADEHERE TO COVID SAFE GUIDELINES WHEN VISITING THE FARM AND SHOP. HAND SANITISER IS AVAILABLE IN THE SHOP & PLEASE ADHERE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING.
We are still delivering in our cider van to the trade and the public, and further afield via courier.
Shop hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm Sunday 11am to 5pm. Please ring the cider bell if the shutters are down or call 07812 095240
Office hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm please telephone 01600 750835 or send us an email to ben@applecountycider.co.uk
Follow the trail of cider signs, just west of Skenfrith on the B4521 or on the B4347 from Monmouth about 2 miles past Newcastle.
