#15
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What is a Pommelier?

We thought this is a good question to end on! Well, a pommelier is for cider what a sommelier is for wine: a sommelier is a 'steward of wine' - you'll usually find them in restaurants, and they will have picked the wine list, and help customers choose a wine they might like, or pair wine to the food they're eating. They must hold an in-depth understanding of wine in general, and each of the bottles they stock, and they need to because there is much to know about wine, and so many wines in the world to choose between! Well the same is true for cider (the are more wonderful, new, small makers each year), and the role of the pommelier is in itself a reflection of the similarities that wine and cider at their peak can hold.

It's a never-ending task, as each season new ciders arrive (some slightly different to the previous vintage of the same blend or single variety, others entirely new creations or combinations) and as new makers take their seat at the table! We dream of a future that sees most restaurants in the country (and further afield...) with cider lists, just as they have wine lists. Pouring brilliant bottles of fine cider that have come from a whole mix of makers, perhaps some even from just down the road. With different styles treasured, and sought out. With certain food pairings becoming classic, and well known combinations. And hundreds, if not thousands, of small cider makers all over the country, making the best ciders they can; a delight, a treasure trove, of makers for everyone to visit and enjoy.

Thank you for reading the fundamentals of fine cider. We hope you've enjoyed them, and your taste buds are now calling out for you to explore this wonderful world of fine cider in more depth; it's ready & waiting for you with open arms, and getting ever more interesting every year...