First Previous Next

Link to compiled list of reports

Wilding Cider (https://www.wildingcider.co.uk/) was our second stop on day 2 of our tour.  They are located just 20 minutes outside of Bristol and are an award winning cidery.  Founded by Sam and Beccy Leach, they took their restaurant background and leveraged from home cider making in 2013 into a full organic farm and orchard where since 2019 they produce small batch cider and perry from their 260 year old farm using only natural yeasts and no other additives, not even sulphites.   They press 45 tons per year, picking 1.5 tons per truck load, a MASSIVE endeavor for the size of their team!  They ferment in stainless steel tanks using only natural yeasts and no sulphites.  Any bottle that is carbonated is done so naturally using the champagne method and disgorged manually resulting in luxurious small bubbles as compared to those obtained from force carbonation.  

 Growing on a South-West facing slope, their orchard is slowing being renovated and topworked to their favorite traditional cider and perry varieties though they also harvest fruit from several other local orchards allowing for a more stabilized production as when one site may be on it “off” biannual year” another orchard may be having a bumper crop.

With the orchard being in transition it was particularly interesting to see the progression year to year of their topworking efforts where desired apple varieties are grafted onto the mature parent tree.  Take particular note of how individual scions are entwined together to provide for a stronger finished branch.

It was also neat to see some of the original, ancient trees that have fallen and then rooted up from the fallen trunk.  One trunk turning into 3 new trees, another where the original trunk has near fully rotten away while the old crown is sending up new shoots.

Where our first visit of the day, Branch Cider, provided an excellent introduction to classical UK cider, at Wilding Cider we would be introduced to elegance and refinement and pushing the limits of what fine cider can be.

The first to be tasted was, 2023 Home Orchard.  6.4%.  Made with a blend of 7 cider apples in a ratio of 40% sharp/bittersharp to 60% bittersweet: Foxwhelp, Major, Kingston Black, Tom Put , Court de Wyk, Dabinett and Yarlington Mill.  

Gold color.  Rich, sweet apple nose.  Mild apple flavour.  Moderate tannins.  Rich, smooth, and VERY tasty.  5 brix and yet tasting off dry.  Natural light carbonation with fine bubbles.   

Next was 2023 Major minor.  6.6%.  An early season blend of predominantly Major but blended with Kingston Black, Dove, St Edmund’s Russet, Tom Putt, Browns, Blenheim Orange, Harry Masters Jersey, and Backwell Red.

Slightly cloudy – paler yellow.  Hint Bret nose.  Slight citrus flavours with a hit of barnyard/brett.  Moderate tannins. Still.  5 brix.  Dry.  

Next was 2024 November, a perry.  4.1%.  Using late harvest perry pears from end October and start of November it is a blend of Claret Oldfield, Blakeney Red, Hellens Green, New Meadow & Pine.  Partially keeved with mid winter racking, it finishes off dry with lovely natural carbonation.  

Pale yellow.  Sweet pear nose.  Absolutely delicious flavours of poached pear, dates and almonds.  Very fine carbonation.  9 brix.  Sweet (even sweeter than you would expect from 9 brix due to the unfermented sorbitol that naturally occurs in perrys. 

Next was 2024 Stoke Red.  3.9%.  A single varietal cider using Stoke Red apples from 73 year old trees of Abbot’s Leigh Orchard.  

Cloudy orange.  Sweet Apple aroma.  Buttery, creamy mouthfeel with hints of strawberry, rosewater and mild apple flavour.  Mild tannins.  7 brix.  Sweet. Quite nice.

Next was moving into spirits with Pyrus.  25.2%.  Fresh pressed perry pear juice was blended with distilled perry eau de vie and then placed into old oak casks for at least 2 years.  This bottle is a 2 year mistelle using 2023 perry pear juice.  

Deep Gold.  Viscus and oily.  Rich, caramel, raisin nose.  Sweet, strong alcohol and butterscotch flavours. 22 brix.  Wow.  Just WOW!!!

Closing out the night we finished with Orchard Spirits.  40%.  An apple eau de vie, using slow fermented cider apples for at least 6 months before being distilled.  Roughly 7kg cider apples are needed to produce each 350ml bottle.

Clear.  Toffee nose.  Caramel and some fuisil flavours.  I personally much preferred the Pyrus.

What an amazing visit!  I am inspired to return home and see how closely I can replicate some of these styles.  Very modern, clean fermentations using stainless steel but with a natural fermentation of bitter sweet / bitter sharp apples and perry pears.  Varieties that are challanging to grow or find in my cold North American climate.

First Previous Next

Link to compiled list of reports