The idea of making craft cider began way back in 1994, when Andre Le Roux and Mark Standford brought bitter-sweet apples from Europe to South Africa. Four years later they started experiments and in 1998, as the trees finally produced sustainable fruit, the first Craft Cider in South Africa was produced in the Elgin Valley, and Windermere Cider was established.

As the South African Market at that time was not receptive to craft cider, the production was limited to smaller quantities, and private consumption amounts.

Since re-launching the Windermere Cider brand in 2012, the craft cider has won first prize at the SA on Tap 2013 Award held in Durban. Windermere Craft Cider also received third prize at the World of Beer Championships in 2014 hosted by SAB, as well as taking the prestigious Silver Medal in the Australian Craft Cider Wood, among two hundred entries from around the globe.

The family operated business, Windermere Cider, is located between the apple orchards on the Windermere Estate in Elgin, Western Cape, managed by three partners – Tamsin Mullins, the Managing Director, her farther-in-law, Mark Stanford, and her father Richard Stephens.

The perfect triangular-partnership for the re-launch of the Windermere Cider was established when Tamsin, a UCT graduate, with her knowledge in the wine industry and her extended data base, her father-in-law, owner of the Windermere estate, and her father, with years of experience in the Beer Industry, joined forces.

The Windermere Estate is a 60ha apple farm of which only 40ha produces well in excess of 4000 bins of Grade A export apples annually. It is from these apples that Tamsin pre-selects the various varieties for the making of Windermere Cider. Some varieties have a higher acidity, some suitable for juice, some good for colour and some are excellent for sweetness.

The Granny Smith apple variety is very high in acidity, while the Pink Lady has a much sweeter juice, therefore they accurately balance the quantities of the different apples in order to produce acceptable cider.

The manner in which Windermere Cider produces their cider is to mimic the values of their business, which is to operate on absolute ethical values. Windermere Cider produces cider of 100% pure apples, juiced with no other juice added, nor any added concentrate, neither any water added – pressed apples in its natural form. An average of 8.2 apples are required to produce a 340ml bottle of cider.

Export apples are harvested during the months from March to May and are stored, as close as possible to nature for a short period of time, before the production of cider commences.

Normally, the juice is pressed during May and June, where after it is placed in French oak. Once pressed, sulphites is added for oxidation, followed by organic enzymes. The function of the enzymes is to detach the juice from the skins and allow for greater juice yield.

New Rooibos Cider launched Tamsin is excited to launch the two newest additions to the award-wining Windermere Cider range, namely the Rooibos-wooded apple cider and Perry.

“Since re-opening in 2012 we have had immense public support, but, the same public has always called back for more.”

“I constantly get asked: what else do you have?” she said. “Windermere has no desire in adding new flavours since anyone can do that.” Also saying that Windermere’s claim to fame is the creation of a unique product.

Trevor Strydom, owner of Audacia Wines, approached Tamsin with an insane idea in 2014, and tried to convince Windermere Cider to remove sulphur and replace it with Rooibos.

“Lucky for him, we’re as mad and passionate as he is,” Tamsin responded.

The paradigm shift came about when Windermere Cider removed large quantities of sulphur and replaced it with large quantities of Rooibos and Honeybush chips, changing the oxidation process unto a process of adding antioxidants to the cider, thereby making the cider a healthier drink, pleasant on the nose, with a wonderful taste. A Rooibos and Honeybush wooded cider is exactly what Windermere has achieved.

For the production of ciders Windermere use 10,000 litre tanks to control any form of bacteria, especially patelina which can adversely affect the quality of their cider. The application of the Rooibos and Honeybush chips to their product creates a natural process of preserving.
Once the juice has gone through the second phase of fermentation it preserves itself naturally.
Windermere cider produced 10,000L of Rooibos cider during 2014, with no added sulphites, nor preservatives. Mullins went on saying, “It’s so delicious, and we are making an additional 20,000L in 2015, just to keep up with the demand.”

Why Rooibos?

The reason craft cider has developed so successfully over the years, is because customers are looking for something premium, something new, and low in Kilojoules.

A Cider with Rooibos blends into a healthier way of living, and, as a product without sulphur, it is a cider with a higher antioxidant potential.

Rooibos is that product now incorporated into the making of Windermere Cider. The shelf life of their first ciders was only 6 months. Today, the use of Rooibos and Honeybush has added an extended shelf life of up to two years to their cider products.

Markets

Windermere’s primary markets are Cape Town and Johannesburg, and, they are currently also expanding into Kwa Zulu Natal and Port Elizabeth. Cider is a very seasonal drink – a great drink in summer, yet, not so much a drink in the winter months.

Windermere Cider has therefore set its focus on Kwa Zulu Natal – a continuation of the summer climate. Currently Windermere Cider also exports their cider to Australia. Japan, the biggest importer of Rooibos worldwide, has presently also caught on to the Rooibos and Honeybush antioxidant cider.

Windermere Cider is today the proud effort of the farm owner Mark Stanford, the cider expert Andre Le Roux, Tamsin Mullins, the Managing Director of the Company, supported by Richard Stephens’ knowledge of the Beer Industry.

Cheers to the red revolution, cheers to no sulphur nor preservatives in drinks, cheers to longer shelf life, cheers South Africa!

For more information contact 083 722 1099 or e-mail [email protected] or visit www.windermerecider.co.za

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