LA FERME DES PETITES VALLÉES

A farm that has lost none of its cachet and that the producer loves to show off to cider lovers and other visitors. Ferme des Petites Vallées invites you on a journey through time, to a past turned towards the future. The location is idyllic, between the Briare canal and the Loing, as Alexandre Ducardonnet explains. The tricks of the trade were passed down to him by a cider-maker, a producer for five generations who left nothing to chance. The range is made from 100% orchard apples, untreated thanks to the hardiness of the varieties. Likewise, no sulfites or other additives are added to the production process. From the tree to the bottle, everything is untreated, as guaranteed by the "100% natural Petites Vallées charter", which everyone is invited to check at any time. Sour apples and bittersweet apples are used to make this special Gâtinais cider, brut or demi-sec (and special cuvées). The rather acidic nature of the apples excludes the astringency and bitterness found, for example, in Norman and Breton ciders. Connoisseurs will quickly notice the difference. The range also includes Gâtinais cider apple juice (which can be drunk hot or cold) and cider vinegar, the fruit of a long process that can take up to three years. All the secrets of the house will be revealed to you - and offered for tasting - during the visit, during which your eyes will be wide open: the 1930s press, a veritable museum of antique mechanics, is worth its weight in admiration alone.