Did you know on the 14th of March is Australian Cider Day? and that’s a big deal, all across Australia we will celebrate ‘Australian Cider Day’ with 100% of Australian grown fruit!

Australia is a wine powerhouse, with a thriving craft beer scene, and home to amazing hard liquor distilleries, the cocktails on offer are more delicious and varied than ever.

But cider has a special place in Australian people’s hearts. Between 2006 and 2020, the number of Australians drinking cider grew over 600%, and it’s not slowing down, in fact its more popular than ever.

What is Cider?

Cider is to apples what wine is to grapes. Cider is fermented apple juice or pear juice, ideally with no additives, flavorings or extra alcohol added — pure, bubbly fermented juice at its finest.

Not all apples are suitable for making cider, though. The apples we eat include the Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Pink Ladies, Fuji and Gala. The one’s grown to make cider have lesser-known names, including Antoinette, Sweet Coppin, Closette and Cremiere, to name a few.

To make cider, producers must harvest the apples from their orchards and crush them to release all that sweet and tangy juice. A similar yeast used in winemaking, a unicellular fungus called saccharomyces cerevisiae, converts the sugar into alcohol to levels of around 4-8%.

Cider is fermented between 5 to 14 days, until fermentation has slowed and the sediment created during the brewing process has had a chance to settle, before bottling and labelling.

Cider in the Yarra Valley

Interestingly, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s oldest cider producing regions and developed the classic champagne-style cider as early as 1934.  The Maroondah orchards, found deep into the Yarra Valley, are the source of some of the best apples in the country.  Yarra Valley collect gold medals in local, national and international competition often.

Yarra Valley, cider produces welcome all visitors eager to know more and enjoy tasting the refreshing, sharp, tangy and often sweet apple or pear cider variations.

Visiting Cider Makers in Yarra Valley

At Chauffeur Drive Melbourne, Yarra Valley we are excited to offer private winery tours to explore this thriving cider scene.  Join us on a private tour to the Yarra Valley and visit cider producers, have a lovely lunch, and contemplate the scenery with a cold one in hand.

If you enjoy wine, you’ll love cider, and if you’re more into beer, cider is a welcoming refreshing option. Cider is so good, our guests buy cases of it!,

We have found cider is common ground for wine and beer lovers alike, give a call on 1300 48 11 88 to find out more.