Wait… that’s not a wine!? Cider on the Cardiff Wine Passport 🍎

For our Cardiff Wine Passport: Summer Edition, we tasked each of our venues to come up with something a little bit special to add to their offerings - and the eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed something a bit different about this year’s offering from Bacareto.

So why did they decide to add a cider to the Cardiff Wine Passport this time around? We asked bar manager Helen Anne Smith to tell us more…

“At Bacareto we’re best known for the excellent spritzes and wine we offer, however, we also have the pleasure of working with and buying from some of the best cider and perry makers in the UK. All of the ciders and perries on our menu are full juice; we're talking 100% fermented fruit juice, with no additional water, sugar or concentrates. 

These products, like wine, are pressed only once a year during harvest time. Most of the makers we work with are low intervention, making room for wild fermentation, and minimal or zero use of sulphites. We pour our draught by the glass, or carafe, from kegs containing live, naturally sparkling cider. And we have a modest range of 750ml bottles, which can often be seen pouring by the glass alongside wine on our regularly changing Drink Specials menu. 

It’s for these reasons that we decided to take the opportunity to showcase a very special cider for this summer's Cardiff Wine Passport. We chose ‘It’s Alive’ by Welsh Mountain Cider, who produce natural cider and perry up in the Cambrian Mountains.

Chava and Bill have been making cider from their high altitude museum orchard and nursery for 14 years, and they grow over 450 different varieties of apple and pear. 

It’s Alive’ by Welsh Mountain Cider.

“The fruit for this cider is pressed in the Autumn, and the juice is allowed to ferment slowly over the Winter. Those ciders and perries will then mature, for between six months and two years, before being potentially blended, and bottled. Some will be sold, however a lot will be cellared, watched over by Chava and Bill, waiting for the perfect moment to be drunk. 

Cider isn't wine, but it's also not beer, and we wanted to celebrate it in a way that reflects the time, energy and care that has gone into it. These ciders can be enjoyed quietly by the glass with a crostini, or shared by the bottle with friends on the terrace. 

We’re looking forward to sharing a glass with you, salute!”