5 artisan ciders for your Thanksgiving table
Here are five artisan ciders -- two from France and Virginia plus one from Maryland -- that are worthy alternatives to wine, either for the Thanksgiving feast or any night you need a change of pace. The French ciders are considerably lower in alcohol than the Americans, yet they tend to have a little more heft, in an earthy, vaguely European way.
Foggy Ridge Serious Cider
Three stars.
Virginia, $18
The granddaddy of the artisan cider movement, this traditional-style cider is refreshingly effervescent and spicy, with good tannic grip and structure. Alcohol by volume: 7 percent.
Store in Millwood; on the list at Forlano's Market in the Plains, Rustico in Alexandria.
Les Vergers de la Chapelle Herout Cidre Cotentin 2013
Three stars.
Normandy, France, $13
This is my favorite of the five excellent ciders recently imported by Wine Traditions. It features bright flavors of baked apple with some ginger and nutmeg spice notes and a crisp, laser-like focus. Certified organic, it is also the only cider I've seen with a vintage noted on the label -- more producers should do that so we'd know how fresh the product is. ABV: 5 percent.
Le Lieu Chari Cidre Fermier Brut
Two and a half stars.
Normandy, France, $12
The Desfrieches family members are fourth-generation farmers and longtime producers of calvados, the apple-based brandy. They began making cider in 2006, as part of a revival of traditional family-made cider in France. This features a bit of funk from the brettanomyces yeast that is common in Belgian-style beers, lending earthy character to the elegant, leesy fruit. "Chewy" might be an appropriate adjective for this cider. ABV: 5 percent.
Potter's Craft Cider Farmhouse Dry
Two and a half stars.
Virginia, $14
An effusive nose of spice and baked apple gives a hint of autumn. The cider is rich and mouth-filling, with bracing acidity on the refreshing finish. ABV: 8.5 percent.
Great Shoals Winery Spencerville Red
Two and a half stars.
Maryland, $15
Bright, crisp and straightforward apple flavors come from this single-variety cider made from apples grown by Heyser Farm Market in eastern Montgomery County. ABV: 8 percent.