Alpine Cider and their Pink Lady Dry is another new entry to Australia’s growing cider market. However, they have been a force on the apple market for years. This apple orchard in the Victorian high country has been one of the biggest since the 1950’s.

In 1954 the Nightingale Brothers bought the 48 hectare Wandiligong orchard. At the time there was no connection to power or roads. Since then the orchard has been expanded to 240 hectares (593 acres) of apples and even some chestnuts and persimmons. Today they have 5 orchards in the alpine region and southern New South Wales.
Alpine Dry Cider

Alpine Cider uses apples that come from the original orchards. Here, at high altitude, snow falls in the winter. The cold temps help the trees go into a deep dormancy which they need to help to trigger the next season’s apple crop. For this cider, we are interested in the classic combo Pink Ladies and a couple of Granny Smiths.

The Nose

I first got my hands on the Alpine Cider Pink Lady Dry at the Australian Cider Awards dinner. The thing that impressed me was the floral nose on this crystal clear cider. Again tonight it’s just as pretty and floral with just a little bit of spice. There is such a juicy foundation.

The Taste

There is quite a rare balance in this Alpine Cider. In drier ciders, it’s easy to lose the intensity of the fruit. That’s not the case here. The crisp fruity pink lady is the hero of the show. It is as crisp as the mountain air and as clean as fresh snow. At the tail end, there is a gentle blast of a green apple acid hit.

Final Thoughts on the Alpine Cider Pink Lady Dry

If you asked me what would I shoot for if I was about to launch a new cider with popular appeal? I’d want big flavour, floral scents and low residual sugar and that is exactly what Alpine Cider has done. I would tip this to be very popular. At the moment it’s only available in the pubs and bottle shops in the surrounding town around the orchard. With a little bit of luck, that will expand quickly.

 

Product Pink Lady Dry
Company Alpine Cider
Sweetness 0ff Dry
Alc/Vol 5.9%
Website alpinecider.com.au
Country of Origin Australia
Region Wandiligong, Victoria

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