When one thinks of alcoholic beverages and France, it is wine that tends to first come to mind. However, there is, of course, much more to the particularly vibrant and exciting gastronomic scene and heritage of this famous foodie holiday destination. Those who like ciders will be especially glad to note that there are some incredibly delicious examples to be found produced across the country. If you have found a villa in Brittany and are exploring that region and its culinary scene, then one amazing cider producer to check out, visit, sample, and stock up on is Domaine Johanna Cécillon in La Villime, Sévignac.
Domaine Johanna Cécillon is located in a part of France that is very well-known for its cider and the apple orchards, buckwheat fields, and dairy farms that are sprawled across the verdant and charming landscape of Brittany are not just pleasing to the eye but also pleasing to the palate. This lovely estate and orchard are steeped in local tradition and are run by Johanna and her family, following in the footsteps of her grandparents who had apple groves in La Grange aux Moines near the north coast of Brittany. Her father, Louis Cécillon, also comes from a long line of winemakers from the Rhône Valley and trained in cider-making when he moved to Brittany. The pair now use this collective knowledge and inherited experience to manage and maintain the orchards, harvest the apples by hand, produce delicious traditional Breton cider, and, above all, respect the environment of the beautiful and bountiful landscape all around them that was once inhabited by Gallic tribes named “Coriosolites” of the Armorican confederation.
The estate is comprised of 8 hectares of high-stem orchards spread across the towns of Sévignac and Trédias and 3 hectares of prairies and there are 9 orchards in total with 14 different varieties of cider apples from sweet to bitter-sweet to bitter to sour. Making use of practices such as the aforementioned organic farming, manual harvesting, natural yeast primary fermentation, no added SO2 or enzymes, barrel aging, secondary fermentation in the bottle with native yeasts, and no disgorgement, and using only indigenous apple varieties in orchards that have matured for at least 30 years, they produce high-quality, impeccable ciders while preserving this ancient terroir for future generations.
There are three different ciders produced at the estate: Divona, named for a Celtic goddess of the sacred springs, that is a slightly dry cider with a fruity nose, fine bubbles, light golden color, and caramel and vanilla flavours; Nantosuelta, which means “Valley of the Sun” and is another goddess of Celtic springs, and is a semi-dry cider with a rich amber color with fine bubbles, a complex nose of white flowers, and aromas of candied fruit, vanilla, and caramel; and Nerios, named for a Celtic goddess of gushing springs, that is a dry cider, powerful, tannic, with an alcohol content of more than 7°, a copper color, fine bubbles, and slight flavour of caramel, licorice, vanilla on the palate with a hint of bitterness on the finish.
Visits are possible and tastings and tours can be arranged with the very friendly, accommodating, and highly knowledgeable owners upon your visit, as well as the chance to stock up on some of their lovely high-quality ciders. So, if you happen to find yourself on vacation in Brittany, then make it a point to set aside some time to drop by this beautiful part of the world and to experience this lesser-known but wonderful culinary specialty and delight of France – it is a true must for any foodies who are exploring the region!
Domaine Johanna Cecillon
La Villime – 22250 SEVIGNAC – Region Bretagne – France
+33(0)6 80 40 40 60
cidre.jcecillon@gmail.com
The estate is comprised of 8 hectares of high-stem orchards spread across the towns of Sévignac and Trédias and 3 hectares of prairies and there are 9 orchards in total with 14 different varieties of cider apples from sweet to bitter-sweet to bitter to sour. Making use of practices such as the aforementioned organic farming, manual harvesting, natural yeast primary fermentation, no added SO2 or enzymes, barrel aging, secondary fermentation in the bottle with native yeasts, and no disgorgement, and using only indigenous apple varieties in orchards that have matured for at least 30 years, they produce high-quality, impeccable ciders while preserving this ancient terroir for future generations.
There are three different ciders produced at the estate: Divona, named for a Celtic goddess of the sacred springs, that is a slightly dry cider with a fruity nose, fine bubbles, light golden color, and caramel and vanilla flavours; Nantosuelta, which means “Valley of the Sun” and is another goddess of Celtic springs, and is a semi-dry cider with a rich amber color with fine bubbles, a complex nose of white flowers, and aromas of candied fruit, vanilla, and caramel; and Nerios, named for a Celtic goddess of gushing springs, that is a dry cider, powerful, tannic, with an alcohol content of more than 7°, a copper color, fine bubbles, and slight flavour of caramel, licorice, vanilla on the palate with a hint of bitterness on the finish.
Visits are possible and tastings and tours can be arranged with the very friendly, accommodating, and highly knowledgeable owners upon your visit, as well as the chance to stock up on some of their lovely high-quality ciders. So, if you happen to find yourself on vacation in Brittany, then make it a point to set aside some time to drop by this beautiful part of the world and to experience this lesser-known but wonderful culinary specialty and delight of France – it is a true must for any foodies who are exploring the region!
Domaine Johanna Cecillon
La Villime – 22250 SEVIGNAC – Region Bretagne – France
+33(0)6 80 40 40 60
cidre.jcecillon@gmail.com