NZ cidery best in class at the Australian Cider Awards
Tuesday 22 October 2013
New Zealand cidery best in class at the Australian Cider Awards
Local Rodney cider producer Zeffer Brewing Co was announced as Best in Class in the Dry Cider Category (class 9) with their Zeffer Dry Apple Cider at the Australian Cider Awards held last Friday evening 18 October in Surry Hills.
The awards attracted more than
160 entries from cider and perry makers from around the
globe and these were judged by US cider expert Gary Awdey
and Australian connoisseurs Max Allen and Neal
Cameron.
“The judges saw a marked step change in
quality this year with Australian and New Zealand cider
producers taking out some of the top awards in a competition
previously dominated by international entrants, the future
looks very bright for the cider industry in Australia and
New Zealand” said Cameron.
The Best in Class win was
a welcome surprise to Zeffer’s chief cider maker and
founder Sam Whitmore.
“I always set out to make the
best cider I can make but to be acknowledged on a world
stage by industry leaders is very exciting,” Whitmore
said.
Whitmore, a winemaker by trade, started
experimenting with making cider in 2009. He and his partner
Hannah Bower founded the cidery less than four years ago and
have continued to excel since their humble beginnings
selling their cider at the Matakana Farmer’s Markets.
“It was a real learning curve that first year,
while cider making is similar to wine making it has its
nuances and it was trial and error as we figured these
out” Whitmore acknowledges.
“We started out with
just 3,000 litres and people responded well to our
drier-style and use of fresh New Zealand grown
fruit.”
Now crushing over 200 tonnes of fruit and
producing more than 200,000 litres of cider, Zeffer’s
range of dry apple and pear ciders are enjoyed locally and
exported to Australia and the US. This gained them
eligibility to enter in to the Australian Cider
Awards.
Cider Australia president James Kendell said
the awards were growing in stature and
importance.
“As a growing number of drinkers across
Australia (and New Zealand) embrace cider as an alternative
to wine and beer, it is important for Cider Australia to
recognise the best of the best,’’ Mr Kendell
said.
Mr Kendell said it was exciting to have Mr
Awdey, an internationally-acclaimed cider expert and
president of the US Great Lakes Cider & Perry Association, join the
renowned judging panel.
“The Australian and New
Zealand cider sector is enjoying remarkable growth and the
awards are a great chance for producers – both small and
large – to show off their product to an
internationally-acclaimed cider expert in Mr Awdey,’’ Mr
Kendell said.
Zeffer Dry Apple also recently won a
silver award at the NZ Brewers Guild Association Awards and
is also entered in to the Fruit Wine & Cider Makers of NZ
Awards which takes place later this year in
November.
Ends