By now you probably know my feelings on what happens when winemakers make cider. The results can be, well, boring. So you can imagine my delight when a good friend gave me a bottle of Winemakers Cider Co Granny Smith Cider. But I will give it my due diligence.

Step 1 of due diligence: Research the producer. Well, that is easier said than done. Googling the name Winemakers Cider Co only result in bottle shops that sell it. The bottle does show an address in a trendy inner Sydney suburb. The address is home to Pinnacle Drinks, a distributor with little more information other than a list of brands they promote on their website.

Pinnacle Drinks manages own and exclusive brands on behalf of Endeavour Drinks Group, a Woolworths Ltd Company

That explains why there isn’t any information on the product,  it’s just a supermarket own brand. That information costs money and this is a very price conscious product.

The choice of a crown cap seems to be the only real level of marketing albeit confused. Crown caps are often used in craft beers and ciders on smaller bottles and on Methode Tradionelle ciders and wines as an intermediary cap before disgorging and sealing with a cork and cage. But here is a level of confusion from the marketing team. I can imagine the meeting:

  • “So it’s made by winemakers… So let’s put it in a wine bottle.”
  • “Good idea, but it’s a craft cider, all the cool kids with their long beards are using crown caps, we want this to look like a craft product too.”
  • “OK, but will that even fit on a wine bottle?”
  • “How should I know? I’m in the marketing department, I only drink vodka sodas”

Step 2: The taste test.WinemakersCiderCo-GrannySmith

The Nose

It’s a riot of sweet scents, toffee, citrus and apple blossom. There is a lot of winemaker influence it is very similar to the sweet rosés and proseccos that the girls seem to be drinking at the moment. Despite heavily touting the Granny Smith Apples it does not smell like a fresh Granny in any way

The Taste

Let’s start with the texture. The Winemakers Cider is very light, “fat-free”, but the bubbles are aggressive.  The bottle describes pear, lime and cane sugar. I agree with the lime, maybe the pear but the cane sugar is a bit of a marketing stretch. There is just a generic sweetness. Luckily there is a good hit of acid, forming the only resemblance to a Granny Smith apple

It would be easy to draw comparisons with the Small Acres Appscato but that would be giving the Winemakers Cider Co Granny Smith far too much credit. This cider is just lacking the complexity to be put into that league.

Final Thoughts on the Winemakers Cider Co Granny Smith

I am yet to meet a cider maker that isn’t proud of their product. They will tell about how much passion goes into every bottle. This own brand cider is made by an anonymous winemaker. Are they not proud of the product?  It’s not terrible, boring yes, but not terrible. It’s just too much like a wine. despite being called Granny Smith it tries so hard to hide any reference to a Granny Smith’s taste. At least it claims the apples are from Goulburn Valley. It will appeal to younger women. But if it does appeal to you, upgrade, go for the Small Acres Appscato.

Product Granny Smith Cider
Company Winemakers Cider Co
Sweetness  Medium – Sweet
alc./vol 5%
Website Not avalable
Country of Origin Australia
Region Goulburn Valley

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