Top award for speciality Ice Cider from Nelson

Top award for speciality Ice Cider from Nelson

Alex Peckham of Peckham’s Cider received the Champion Cider Trophy.
Alex Peckham of Peckham’s Cider received the Champion Cider Trophy.

The New Zealand Cider Industry gathered in Auckland this month to hear the results of the 2015 New Zealand Cider Awards and New Zealand Fruit Wine Awards.

Peckham’s Cider from Upper Moutere in Nelson walked away with the Champion Cider Trophy after entering this national competition for the first time. Peckham’s received a Gold for their Ice Cider, a sweet style of cider from North America, not unlike a dessert wine. So impressive was this cider that it also received the top accolade.

Judges from Australia and New Zealand sampled 89 ciders, pear ciders and ciders with fruit over two days. This year saw a new categorisation process, reflecting the increased number of entrants into the competition and the improved range of styles now available. New guidelines were created for New World Style Cider (made with culinary apples) and Traditional Cider (made from English and French heritage apple varieties), enabling these distinct styles to be judged separately, and on merit.

Entries were received from all over New Zealand. Overall, the quality of the entrants was exceptionally high this year, with 70% being awarded a medal. “We tasted a number of ciders of great complexity and balance, ranging from the delicate and poised, to the bold and robust,” said judge, Gabe Cook. “Cider continues to be a market leader in terms of growth and innovation.  Judging by what we saw at the awards, the future look rosy with NZ cider.”

Meanwhile, at the Fruit Wine Awards, which were held on the same day, Kiwi Estate Winery walked away with the Champion Trophy for their Pukeko Grove Sparkling Boysenberry Wine.

Cider has recently undergone a period of massive growth in volume and value, with double digit growth observed over the last three years. In the last 12 months alone, volume has grown 7.8% to 12 million litres.

TROPHY                           WINNER                       MAKER

Champion Cider                 Ice Cider                        Peckham’s Cider

Best New World Cider       Orange Pippin                Peckham’s Cider

Best Traditional Cider        Cidre Demi-Sec 2015     Zeffer Cider

Best Perry/Pear Cider        Juicy Pear Cider             Zeffer Cider

Best Specialty Cider          Ice Cider                         Peckham’s Cider

MEDALS:

New World Cider Class

Paynter’s Cider Ltd Pilgrim’s Dry

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Orange Pippin

SILVER

Best in Class

Appleborn Limited Three Wise Birds – Acoustic Collection

BRONZE

Appleborn Limited Three Wise Birds – Bach Life

BRONZE

Bold Rock Hard Cider Crimson Ridge Vintage Dry

BRONZE

Edgebrook Cider Ltd Edgebrook Festive Cider

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Scrumpy Apple Cider

BRONZE

SP & RK Ltd O Cider Oikimoke Road Cider

BRONZE

Zeffer Cider Co. Crisp Apple Cider

BRONZE

Redwood Cider Co. Old Mout Cider Hard Cider

SILVER

Forbidden Brewing Co. Simply Apple Cider

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Harvest Apple Cider

BRONZE

McCashins Brewery Rochdale Classic Apple Cider

BRONZE

Redwood Cider Co. Old Mout Cider Scrumpy

BRONZE

Bold Rock Hard Cider Virginia Draught

BRONZE

Traditional Cider Class

Jones Road Jones Road Apple Cider

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Moutere Cider

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Harry Masters

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Home Block

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Wild Major

SILVER

Zeffer Cider Co. Newtown Pippin 2015

SILVER

Zeffer Cider Co. Slack Ma Girdle

SILVER

Paynter’s Cider Ltd Paynter’s Reserve

BRONZE

Peckhams Cider Home Block

BRONZE

Zeffer Cider Co. Cidre Demi-Sec 2015

GOLD

Best in Class

Perry/Pear Cider Class

Zeffer Cider Co. Juicy Pear Cider

SILVER

Best in Class

Peckhams Cider Perry

SILVER

McCashins Brewery Rochdale Classic Pear Cider

BRONZE

Redwood Cider Co. Old Mout Cider Pear Scrumpy

BRONZE

Specialty Cider Class

Forbidden Brewing Co. Lucifer’s Revenge

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Cider with Elderflower

SILVER

Peckhams Cider Cider with Boysenberry

SILVER

SP & RK Ltd O Cider O Cider Small Batch – The Hop

SILVER

Forbidden Brewing Co. Hopzilla Cider

BRONZE

Forbidden Brewing Co. Castaway

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Harvest Apple Cider with Boysenberry

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Scrumpy Apple Cider with Lemon

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Scrumpy Apple Cider with Raspberry

BRONZE

McCashins Brewery Rochdale Ginger Lime Cider

BRONZE

Peckhams Cider Cider with Feijoa

BRONZE

Redwood Cider Co. Old Mout Cider Feijoa and Cider

BRONZE

Zeffer Cider Co. Hop Infused Cider

BRONZE

Harvest Cidery Black Betty

BRONZE

McCashins Brewery Rochdale Three Berry Cider

BRONZE

Peckhams Cider Cider Kir

BRONZE

Redwood Cider Co. Old Mout Cider Boysencider

BRONZE

Peckhams Cider Ice Cider

GOLD

Best in Class

Peckhams Cider Knotted Kernel

SILVER

Appleborn Limited Three Wise Birds – Moulin Rouge

BRONZE

Brand Evolution Ranga Ginger

BRONZE

Zeffer Cider Co. Two Point Five

BRONZE

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