About

Banda Cider is made in lutruwita/ Tasmania at the bottom of the world. We produce cider made carefully, without any additions and with the finest organically grown cider apples. 

We are very pleased to be sharing our new collection of ciders with you. These cuvees are made using traditional methods and 100% cider apples. We source our apples from Our Mates Farm in Geeveston & have used grape skins from R.D’meure in Flowerpot in our Sparkling Apple Wine #3.

This new release contains two different versions of Cider of the Arve; defined by their varietals and time of ripening. Portions of these harvests were cured for longer periods of time and were gradually pressed and added to blends. Cider of the Arve #1 was a blend of fruit harvested during the heart of autumn, whereas Cider of the Arve #2 was made with fruit harvested closer to the winter solstice.

We have adopted the term, ‘rural method’ to explain how our ciders are produced. The term ‘rural method’ was adopted by cider makers in England, in response to the french term méthode rurale. Rural method ciders obtain an incredible amount of fruit character and body. The process is achieved by a cold racking process, which means that we move fermenting juice off its sediment into another tank to slow the fermentation. Because the level of nutrient reduces heavily after racking, the fermentation naturally slows down. 

Our cider apple processing occurs during the coolest part of autumn and early winter, which allows us to achieve a slow fermentation that extends into the spring. We ferment outside in ambient temperatures which drives the depth and complexity in our ciders. As the days grow longer after the solstice we begin to utilise the sun’s UV to warm our ferments during the day. As a result, once our ciders reach the bottle in spring and go through secondary fermentation, they have minimal active yeast and nutrient, thus creating an incredibly mineral fizz which is gentle and pairs beautifully with food.  

These cuvées are crafted with organically grown cider apples from Our Mates Farm in Geeveston. Due to their southerly location, we work with fruit that ripens late. This allows us to make a style of cider that is not possible to make in other parts of Australia who in turn, experience early ripening fruit and fermentations that advance quickly. The soils at Our Mates Farm are made up of mudstone and dolerite. The top section of the orchard is mudstone and as the orchard progresses through the blocks of different cider varieties, we begin to experience huge swales of dolerite. 

In 2024 we planted a beautiful cider orchard at our friends Gus & Lily’s farm in Oyster Cove; Halo Hill. This orchard is an experiment in survival and building a tree’s resilience to thrive in a changing climate. The cider orchard is dry grown and planted in extremely chalky soil. The trees are generously spaced and are being trained to grow as tall trees to allow cows to graze below. The orchard is supported by gentle practices; ‘standing hay’ keeps the pasture protected and able to retain moisture, while slowly increasing its own organic matter. 

It is a pleasure to share these ciders with you, a little over a year after being pressed as juice and slowly fermented through the winter. We love drinking cider as an aperitif, over a long lunch and at the end of the meal with cheese and desserts. It is a truly versatile drink at the forefront of sustainable and biodiverse agriculture. I hope you enjoy these cuvees crafted with endless love & care! 

 

https://tasmania.foodtourist.com/banda/

https://pnvmerchants.com/blogs/news/banda-cider