The Producer: Kai Winter @ Kernegaarden

I’ve mentioned Kai earlier on this blog. He was the first that introduced me to “real” cider. Since our first meeting Kai and I have done different project together and discussed the aspects of being a small producer in Denmark. Unfortunately we never discussed his cider production in details. So last week Kai came by Copenhagen for a talk about cider.

Mapping Kais cider production and tasting different ciders.

Here are some of my notes from the meeting.

Kai started producing cider at Fejø in collaboration with some other guys, including Jeppe from Fejø Cider (read more about Jeppe here). Today Kai operate on his own from his small farm Kernegaarden.

His approach to cider is French. The cider is produced from French cider apple varieties that grow in small orchards around the island. Kai buy the apples from the growers and produce cider from these. Kai produce two different ciders, a traditional semi dry cider and “summer cider”.

The production the traditional semi dry cider is very simple and as natural as possible: The apples are matured in plastic nets, then milled, pressed and clarified by Keeving. The cider is racked and allowed to ferment spontaneously for up to 3 months at low temperature. The cider is then filtered, bottled and matured for 2-3 months before sale. This gives a rich and aromatic Danish-French cider.

The “summer cider” varies from the traditional in the duration of fermentation. The summer cider is allowed to ferment longer. After the fermentation the cider is filtered, bottled and added carbon dioxide and is then pasteurized.

I went to visit Kernegaarden a couple of times. Here are some of my shoots from the visit.

Kai in a talk @ Torvehallerne, Copenhagen

Maturation of cider apples

The shop @ Kernegaarden, Fejø

Wooden barrels outside the winery

The Producer: Jeppe Gents @ Fejø Cider

Last week I met with Jeppe for coffee (cortado for Jeppe and a large americano for me) for a talk about his cider production at Fejø. Jeppe was very interested in my project on Danish cider – but laughed a bit about my approach. As Jeppe said “what you are doing is apple wine – not cider” and I guess apple wine is bad when comparison.

Here are some notes from the meeting.

Jeppe and his wife (the manager of the firm) was some of the first to produce cider here in Denmark. They used to have an apple orchard at Femø with Danish varieties but decided to plant a new orchard with cider apple trees on Fejø. Femø and Fejø are both small islands in the southern part of Denmark – very close to each other.

What they planted was mainly French cider and juice varieties as Douce Moen, Douce Coet Ligne, Avrolles, Kermerrien, Bedan, Bisquet, Friquin rouge, Judeline and Judaine.

Fejø cider is a natural cider. Organic grown apples. No additives. No sulfur. No yeast. No nothing – just pure cider apples grown in Danish soil.

Fejø cider is French cider in Denmark. A rich and balanced cider. Golden and very drinkable. Jeppe emphasized vintage 2011 as one of the best!

All work takes place at Fejø. The apples are harvested in the beginning of November, matured in big wooden boxes until milling and pressing. Jeppe don’t do maceration. The must is allowed to form brown hat and is then racked and fermented at low temperature in big plastic boxes and stainless steel tanks for up to three months. The cider is then filtered (not always), bottled and matured.

Jeppes cider sells on restaurants and bars around Denmark and at Systembolaget in Sweden – and I think Jeppe said Norway as well. Try it.

Sorry – but no pics yet. See and read more @ www.fejoecider.dk (in Danish).