Napoleone & co Pear Cider. Quaffable. Very quaffable.

"If you generally like other ciders, you’ll probably really like this one."

 (Quaffed 7th and 15th July, 2011)

I remember some time ago, peering into a mate’s bachelor-pad (bar)fridge you'd have slim pickings of a VB, Fosters (heaven forbid!) or perhaps a Melbourne Bitter. If you wanted something else there was a bottle of spirits (that you'd have to mix with softdrink yourself), or - if you could stand up to the ridicule - a strongbow. 

I wish I could forget.

Thank goodness things have changed since then. Blokes will now actually contemplate wine as something they can drink openly with their meal, and microbreweries are doing a splendid job keeping us refreshed and our palates interested.  While we’re all getting a little bit sophisticated, there’s been a renaissance of sorts when it comes to ciders, and I reckon it’s great when a wine maker puts their brewing nouse to good use and comes up with a cider that is more than just a soft alternative to beer.

Punt Road wines (under the Napoleone & Co label) have put together this great Yarra Valley creation that I reckon is worthy of inclusion on your "give it a try" list, and would not look out of place in your grown up, twin-door, whiz-bang family fridge.

Napoleone & Co pear cider has the typical sweet, fruity nose that you’d expect of a cider, with quite a pale straw colouring - but surprisingly there is more to it than that.  I picked up more complex flavours than most of the “also-ran” ciders, with some yeasty notes that almost made me think I was drinking a nice fruity wine. In that regard, I was delighted that – to my palette, and as the label hints - it was more towards the wine end of the drink scale, rather than the sugary fruity alco pop end that I fear to admit I might be too old to enjoy.

It looks and feels like a grown up cider that makes me thankful for the sophistication and evolution of Australia's wine and beer makers, and something that I’d be proud to serve up to my friends and family. It’s also nice to boast about something that comes from around my old stomping ground.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not re-inventing cider – it’s evolving to something a little more special than “just a cider”. I’d love to have managed to get my hands on a bottle of Napoleone’s Methode Traditionelle Pear Cider to see how good this cider can really get... (But alas, they are all sold out)... Note to self: Get onto the next year's vintage when it's available.. I must also try their apple cider too, to see how it compares..

It is a sweet and fruity drink (compared to a strong full-flavoured lager), but not overly sweet. If you generally like other ciders, you’ll probably really like this one.

 

Where to get it? Check out Punt Road Wines' website (link above), or Y&J's in Melbourne CBD has a new cider bar...

Footnote: 

If you do happen to like your drinks uber-sweet, and want a cider rather than a moscato, then this probably won’t cut it (as was the case with a friend of ours last week – (sorry, K.)) – in such a case maybe try a strawberry and apple cider under the Cheeky Rascal label (from Robello Wines), another yummy, but much sweeter drop, which The Degusters thought was also a top-notch effort from this Mornington Peninsula winemaker.