The green pastures and rolling hills of rural Normandy hide a carefully kept French secret... 
Restriction: None Text: On commission only Photo: Veronique Leplat Every year, as summer ends and the countryside empties of visitors, the local people begin the annual cycle of Calvados production. This complex spirit, distilled from dry cider and aged in oak casks, is another of Normandy's signature flavours, as essential to the region's identity as its famous Camembert and Pont l'Eveque cheese, creme fraiche and cider. The best Calvados is the fruit of a long slow process, a special tradition that is often been passed from father to son for many generations. Each step requires great care, attention to detail and above all, patience: it will be 4 to 6 months after the apples are first pressed that the spirit can be distilled, and then as long as 20 years before the Calvados is bottled and labelled with the quality mark of Appellation d'Origine Controlle. |