Kokova Magazine

Fancy yourself as a cider connoisseur? Think you know your perry from your Pinot Grigio?

This year's International Craft Cider Festival 12-14 August 2011 at Llancaiach Fawr near Caerphilly will sort the juice from the pulp with a range of masterclasses and demonstrations from well known faces from the local and international cider scene.

With the huge rise in popularity in craft ciders in recent years and a growing demand for knowledge in how they are made, this summer's festival offers nine masterclasses and demonstrations; kicking off with a back to basics cooking class with local chef Sebastian Vanoni of the Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd as he cooks up some culinary creations using cider.

Saturday takes a journey around the world of cider, beginning in Spain with a look at the Asturian Cider Tasting traditions.

Why do they hold the bottle above the head to pour? Why the special glass?

The traditional pouring technique for 'sidra' is to hold the bottle at head height, and the glass at the waist – but of course the skill lies in not spilling a drop!

Continuing the trip around Europe, cider maker Adam Bland of Cidre Les Noyers in Calvados, France will be taking the journey through the French style 'cidres', an opportunity to find out if visitors are more doux than brut!

You can discover why the famous German favourite Hessen drink is called wine, as the directors of the apfelwein company, Apfelweinkontor, impart their knowledge on how this drink compares to the usual image of cider.

Closer to home, from Ross-on-Wye, Mike Johnson, of Ross Cider and Perry, awarded Champion Cider Maker at this year's Big Apple Cider & Perry Trials gives an insight into what goes into an award-winning cider.

The event is the work of the Welsh Perry and Cider Society.

There’s a real thirst for knowledge about all aspects of craft cider making and enjoyment, and we know that our audience at the festival will want to use the festival to learn as much as they can from a broad range of experts from here and abroad, to help them enjoy the ciders and perries they love.

Development Officer Cressida Slater

If you have ever fancied turning your hand to making your own cider, The Cider Apple Tree and Orcharding masterclass on Sunday will be right up your tree-lined street. John Worle ran the orchards for Bulmers for a large part of his career, and now runs his well-established apple tree nurseries in Hereford. John will be there to impart his extensive knowledge of cider apple trees and orchard planting.

In addition to the opportunity to sample some of the best ciders in the world and to learn about the craft, there'll be bands with a variety of musical flavours playing throughout the weekend to really get people partying.

The line up for the first year is a great mix of signed and unsigned bands catering to all tastes.

Headlining the Friday night is Fourth Street Traffic, the very same band that won the honour of opening Cardiff's new Ninian Park Stadium with the Stereophonics last year. Also playing are the highly acclaimed Paper Aeroplanes, a favourite of BBC Radio 2 and Radio Wales, as well as the wonderful sound of Peter Bruntnell, Chris Summerill and The Misers - to name but a few.

The opening spectacle though will be the powerful voices of Dowlais Male Voice Choir giving a true Welsh welcome to visitors.

Whether your tipple is 'sidra', 'cidre' or the more familiar cider, this year's International Craft Cider Festival has everything for every type of cider lover.

From drinking to making to learning new facts and traditions, it is all there, wrapped up in a fun-filled and energetic weekend in the beautiful rural valleys of South East Wales.

The International Craft Cider Festival 2011 is the first of its kind, and is set to become a highlight of any real cider-lovers calendar; bringing together craft cider and perry makers from around the world - with the first year focussing on producers from France, Germany, Spain, England and Wales.

The range of masterclasses give you the opportunity to step out from the cider bars and really learn about the international ciders available to you. With everything from the Asturian way of pouring cider; to the reason why the German's call it 'apple wine', to some cookery with cider.

Don't forget there's also a great range of international food and a fantastic local market to also keep you going throughout the weekend.

Visit www.internationalciderfestival.com for a more in-depth look at what's going on.