Templars Choice | France | About Us
cider orchard normandy
cider apples france
templars choice normandy france

Our Apples and Orchards

Our cider apples flourish on our well-drained south facing orchards. The apples trees are 100% traditional cider varieties, some of which are exclusively recommended for our small area, which is famous for producing a very aromatic and deep flavoured naturally sparkling cider and also excellent Calvados. All our cider is sold in strengthened, corked and wired bottles, a technique developed in the 19th century when the arrival of the railway meant that empty champagne bottles from Paris could be brought down to Normandy by train and refilled with sparkling cider and sent back to Paris together with the world reknowned cheeses, Calvados and other dairy products from Pays d'Auge. 

We have some wonderful varieties of cider apples including late ripening ones that we press around Christmastime. All our cider is keeved with the natural apple yeasts and then slowly fermented throughout the winter months. It is bottled in the Spring when a small, secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle to give a naturally sparkling cider. No sugar is added, the sweetness from the apples themselves determine the dry, medium or sweet taste of our cider.  

All our orchards are untreated and abound in insects, birds, wildlife and wildflowers.

We distill some of our fine farm cider to make Calvados on our farm which we mature in Normandy oak barrels produced by a local cooper. Our Calvados is produced at 45 degrees proof, the higher and more traditional alcoholic strength necessary for the full enhancement of it's rich and distinctive aromatic flavour. 

caravan campsite normandy

Caravanning & Camping

We have a small campsite wih facilities and electric hook-up. The campsite has lovely views over some of our orchards with the Pays d'Auge valley in the background. Our cider and calvados is available for sale on site.

cider apples french