So, much to our collective surprise, we find ourselves in troubled times. At Brännland Cider we are already feeling the heat from the world shutting down. Is there no good news? Well, we just finished extracting the 2019 vintage and it is lower in sugar as a result of the unusually warm winter and so the 2019 ice cider will, as I’ve written earlier in the season, be a new thing. But contrary to what you might think the lower sugar levels reveal new possibilities and an entirely new personality in our ice cider. Apples that we’ve come to recognize over the years have changed.
Or maybe not changed as much as shown us new expressions. We are embracing this. And in the cycle of wine making there is hope. Each vintage brings renewal, closes some doors that you thought would be open forever but also opens new ones. There is a feeling of wealth going far beyond the monetary meaning of the term in having a vintage ready for fermentation in the ciderys. The feeling of adventure and discovery starts again. Every new vintage.
There have been so many times over the years when we’ve despaired over the difficulties and challenges posed by what we do and every time we’ve felt that there is nothing more can be done we have prevailed. This past season and winter have been one of those periods where we’ve thought more than a few times that we would not hit our targets, not be able to produce anything of value, not be able to move forward.
Not being able to produce dessert wine, might, in the light of current events, feel like a luxury problem and to some extent it is. On the other hand working with natural tools and methods gives you a first hand look at how, if we are willing to adapt, obstacles can be overcome and maybe even turned into assets.
We hope that you all stay well, take care of each other and can see the light at the end of whatever tunnel you might personally be faced with. Support your local businesses. Stay close to the core of your community. We will get through this stronger and wiser and better.
/Andreas Sundgren Graniti, Brännland Cider