"The
art of distilling has been revived in the orchards of Somerset..."
News
Sour Grapes?
Latest on the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status
victory for Cider Brandy.
It seems that the Spanish are furious and claim that the EU is
showing double standards in allowing Britain this victory.
In essence they (the Consejo Regulador for Brandy de Jerez) say
this is a sort of British revenge for their (Spanish) success
against British sherry years ago...
On Apple Day , October 22nd , we will
commemorate Somersets historic victory in Brussels with
the release of a Damien Hirst designed label and box for the
20 Year Old Somerset Cider Brandy. The four year battle in
Brussels ending with our victory and the approving of the words
Somerset Cider Brandy, against vigorous objections from the
Spanish, Italians and Scots and the granting of a PGI, (legal EU
protection for the spirits geographic origins and an
Appellation Controle) is in our view about as good as it gets
and the Hirst box and label will be something to remind us of
this for years to come.
VE Day!
Drinkers raise a glass after
brandy ruling...
Thursday, September 15, 2011 Western Morning
News
One of the South West's best-loved tipples has been
given the highest level of EU protection after MEPs ruled it is a
regional product. Somerset Cider Brandy has been awarded Protected
Geographical Indication (PGI) status which will protect the age-old
product from being removed from the official brandy definition list
again. The local drink was previously removed from the list in 2007
in an EU 'blunder' which meant the product would have to be branded
"cider spirit" because officials in Brussels had never
heard of it. But, following a four-year legal battle, the drink has
been reinstated. "We now have a legal name again, but more
importantly, we have a future," said Julian Temperley of
Somerset Distillery. Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West, Graham
Watson, said he has been serving the drink to the Commission
President, Jose Manuel Barosso, and battling with member states such
as Spain, which were keen to protect their own brandy producers, for
four years. "This is excellent news that all 27 member states
are supporting PGI status for Cider Brandy," he said. "We
have achieved a victory against a modern-day Spanish Armada."
The drink joins other Westcountry produce with PGI status such as
Exmoor blue cheese and the Cornish pasty.
Drink up thy brandy...
Thursday, September 15, 2011 Western Daily
Press
Anyone lucky enough to taste Julian Temperley's
Somerset Cider Brandy will know that it is a top quality product
made with skill that perfectly reflects the fruit of the Westcountry
orchards from where its raw material Somerset cider apples
are sourced. So the confirmation that, with the help of Lib Dem Euro
MP Sir Graham Watson, Somerset Cider Brandy has been granted
European Union Protected Geographical Indication status (PGI) is
excellent news and well-deserved. It was also essential to ensure
the future of the tipple that PGI status was bestowed. Four years
ago cider brandy was left off the list of products that could call
themselves "brandy" thanks to an oversight during a
review. It took a great deal of lobbying and a tot or two of
the famous Somerset drink, served up to European Commission
president Jose Manuel Barosso to finally get the Eurocrats to
see sense. The Westcountry is increasingly gaining a reputation for
fine food and drink. Official recognition doesn't make it taste any
better. But it protects the producers and encourages them to
make more.
Supreme Champion 2011...
Our Bottle Fermented Kingston Black was
voted Supreme Champion at the 2011 Royal Bath and West Cider Show.
Cider Bus
The Times recently wrote an article on the Cider
Bus at Glastonbury. The bus was greatly praised and was described as
a portal to another world.
Somerset 20 Year Old is to be stocked by
Fortnum and Mason. For the foreseeable future this will be
our only retail outlet in London for this age of Cider Brandy.
Awards
Cider made at Burrow Hill wins the 2010 Supreme
Championship at the Royal Bath and West and our Perry is
judged joint best in the Hereford Cider Museum International
Cider and Perry Competition
Ambush in Brussels
On April the 9th, 12 hours before our PGI approval
was due to be granted, and after two years of talking, three
surprise objections were received by the Commission in Brussels. One
from Italy, one from Spain and one from the European Spirit
Producers (SEPS). At the moment we are unsure who is organizing
this. It smells like a problem from the Scots Whisky Association.
They deny it, but they have form, but it maybe the French, or both.
In due course we will find out and try to convince the objectors
that Somerset Cider Brandy is not going to destroy any part of their
country, and if we fail we will have to go back to the Commission
and then have another vote by the Spirits Committee. In the meantime
we will continue as if the hounds from hell are not baying at our
gates. One way or another I have every confidence that we will win.
BBC Radio 4 Food and Drink
Programme
In December 2009 the Somerset Cider Brandy Co Ltd
was been awarded the 'Special Judges Award Best Food
Producer 2009' by BBC Radio 4 Food and Drink Programme
at an award ceremony in London attended by the great and the good of
the food and drink industry, including the Prince of Wales. The
judges, chaired by Raymond Blanc, said that the special award was
given for the years of dedication and hard work that went into
producing a fanastic product.
Cider Brandy meets a Dragon
Often I have wondered how I would describe our
distillery to the dragons of the BBCs Dragons Den. Would they
be able to conceive the idea of a 20 year stock rotation which has
to happen if we are to sell Somerset Twenty Year Old? My chance came
recently when I was invited to a meeting with Duncan Bannatyne, who
had just brought the once posh Charlton House hotel near Shepton
Mallet. The meeting started well enough, but after showing him the
Kingston Black Apple Aperitif he declared that the profit margin was
not enough. I buy wine for £2 and sell it for £20
he declared. This was before I had even told him the price. We moved
very quickly to the Somerset Pomona which I suggested went very well
with a good Montgomerys cheddar. He then declared that his
customers had not the slightest interest in Somerset Food and drink,
all he was bothered about was the price, if its got cider on
the label I dont care how its bloody made were the
words he used. After that we fled. I dont recall that he said
goodbye. It was an interesting experience. On the way home we
considered whether anything he said was correct and concluded he had
been talking rubbish and was very rude as well. . It was a joy to
recall the smell inside and outside his hotel. For all his business
skills he had just brought a posh hotel very very close to a pig
farm. A smell you could cut with a knife! So he is not so clever
after all. Luckily for us most hotels and restaurants are more than
welcoming.
Somerset goes to London
The Someret Cider Brandy Company Ltd. has been
elected to the City guild of the Worshipful
Company of Distillers, which means that Julian Temperley
becomes a Freeman of the City of London. At Burrow Hill we think
that this is a very important recognition for our brandy, and should
be of great help with our problems in Brussels. Besides serious
dinners in the City, where we can network with the great and the
good of the distilling world, we can also drive our sheep across
London Bridge and avoid the congestion charge!
Brussels update
On May 1st 2009, DEFRA phoned to tell us that from
May 20th 2009 the words "Cider Brandy" will be illegal!
For the moment, while our application for PGI status for Someret
Cider Brandy is still being considered, Brussels has told DEFRA to
keep their dogs tied up. If current timetables are correct we should
know our fate by April 10th - watch this space...
Healthier than Wine?
Professor Roger Corder of Londons William
Harvey Research Institute writes in his book The Wine Diet published
by Sphere that he has analyzed the health giving procyanidin levels
in red wines and ciders and found that traditionally made
unfiltered Somerset ciders had a level of procyanidins that was
higher than many wines . He says that these levels can only be
found in the pure juice traditionally made products. Commercially
made factory ciders have only 1 to 5% of the procyanidin levels of
traditional Somerset cider.
Brussels again
Last Autumn we had another problem with Brussels.
The Commission decided to rewrite the 197 pages of spirit
regulations which define all the spirits produced in the EC. They
wanted to keep the words 'cider brandy', which are in the current
regulations, but 5 wine making states objected. As a result the
words cider brandy were dropped.
We have had to approach the Commission ourselves and have been
hugely helped by one of our regional MEPs, Graham Watson, who has
always been a great support. He now heads the European Liberal
Democrats and his 102 MEPs hold the balance of power in Strasbourg.
We had a meeting with the Commission and, while they declined to
amend the regulation they promised to support a Somerset Cider
Brandy application for PGI status. This may take two years and
hopefully we will end up with Somerset Cider Brandy having the same
legal protection as Calvados or Champagne. (The local Tory and UKIP
MEPs were of no help).
In what we think is a huge coup the Calvados producers association
wrote to the Commission in our support and their letter completely
destroys any future objections from the French government. So for
the next two years it's fingers crossed!
Napoli
In January 2007 a huge container ship called the
Napoli was beached off the coast of East Devon and, amongst
its cargo, were containers holding some very fine barrels made with
Allier oak, on their way to South Africa to be filled with wine.
We acquired some of these barrels, which had been protected from
the sea by Bibles in Zulu, and after we received legal guardianship
from the Receiver of Wrecks we filled them with 10 year old Cider
Brandy.
After 6 months in the oak we bottled "Shipwreck"
in 50cl bottles in time for Christmas 2007.
The bottles have been hugely well received and we will bottle some
more for Christmas 2008.
A fun story of a superb spirit blended with a little West Country
villainy, which has brought a smile to many all over the country.
New Bond
This year's (2007) distilling is being matured in
the new bonded warehouse which has just been built on the farm. You
will be able to view this live from a webcam shortly.
The new bond means that our control of maturing stock will be
monitored more closely and is part of our quest for quality. It will
also mean that the Customs and Excise will be able to see what we
are up to from their offices in Bristol.