Located on the “Route du Cidre” (Cider Route) near the village of Cambremer, in the heart of the Pays d’Auge, the Manoir de Grandouet cellar is open to visitors throughout the year. The terroir and the climate make this an excellent location for cider production.
Beneath Grandouet’s small 12th-century church, the 16th-century timber-framed press room, belonging to the Grandval family since 1856, houses foudres (large vats) that are over a century old. Yvon, the grandfather, reconstructed the manor and started developing the cider production activity in 1945. François, the father, continued this development and still handles the Calvados distillation and ageing. Today, Stéphane, the son, and his wife, Lucile, are perpetuating this savoir-faire.
On this typical Pays d’Auge farm dedicated to apple and milk AOCs/AOPs, the production has now been converted to organic agriculture.
All the apple-based products are crafted from the farm’s 25 or so varieties of cider apples and aged, to continue to draw out all their flavours, in the timber-framed cellars.
The Pays d’Auge AOP ciders are rich in colour and subtlety. They combine a fruity roundness and a hint of bitterness. The Pommeau de Normandie is aged in oak barrels where it takes on a gorgeous amber hue. The Pays d’Auge AOC Calvados are made using a pot still and aged according to traditional methods. Apple juice and perry, also made with fruit from the farm, complete the range.
All the products, as well as the Normandy AOP cheeses (Pont-l’evêque, Livarot and Camembert de Normandie), are sold directly at the cellar.
The tasting is free and you can expect a warm family welcome! The tour also includes a video that explains all the harvesting, processing and distillation work.
