On a trip to France in 2022, we fell in love with the perry from Normandy.

Fruity and rich with the perfect level of sweetness, it felt like a new world—especially since we've spent so long making ciders with zero residual sugar.

We knew we had to try making it, with fruit from here.

We started with tannic pears, foraged on a picturesque farm just north of our winery. We blended them with pears from Niagara, and apples from Thedford, Ontario. We let the blend wild ferment, but bottled it just before it finished, arresting the fermentation to preserve the natural pear sugars.

What's it like?: Off dry, lightly sparkling with fine tannins, each sip takes us back to the French countryside.

Chanter la Poire feels like nutty Bosc skins, with a concentrated Asian pear note in the aroma. Bitter pear skins are balanced by the residual sweetness of the fruit. As it warms up, you'll get notes of quince, guava and magnolia flowers.

French perry is one of the most elusive things in the world of beverage, made in tiny quantities, and typically only sold locally. I'm so thrilled to have this available in Canada, as I think this style is one of the most special in the entire category of cider.