Barossa Cider squashed – best in show

A small cider manufacturer in winegrowing hot spot the Barossa Valley has swept up the major awards in this year’s Australian Cider Awards.

Cider Australia’s awards for ‘Best in Show’, ‘Best Australian Cider’ and ‘Best New World Cider’ went to Barossa Cider Co’s Squashed Apple Cider.

The product of brothers Oscar and Hugo Bowen was awarded with a score of 97 in the New World Medium Sweet Class at the 9th Australian Cider awards held in Melbourne.

The brothers say on their website it would have seemed logical for them to take up wine making, following family tradition.

“But, that would’ve been following, not leading. That would’ve been writing our old folks story, not ours.”

So the two visited Europe to learn traditional skills, today making a range of ‘squashed’ ciders using traditional Champagne yeast designed to extract the optimum fruit flavour and intensity from locally sourced apples or pears.

Barossa Cider Co’s products are stocked nationally by BWS and Dan Murphy’s, with tastings available at the home of fortified wine, Seppeltsfield’s Barossa Cellar Door in the Barossa Valley.

Trophy winners for 2019 were:

Best in Show: Barossa Cider Co – Squashed Apple Cider
Best New World Cider: Barossa Cider Co – Squashed Apple Cider
Best Traditional Cider: Kangaroo Island Ciders – Colony Cove 2018 Draught Cider
Best Perry: Small Acres Cyder – 2017 Sparkling Perry
Best Intensified/Distilled Cider or Perry: William Smith & Sons – Charles Oates Distilling Apple Blanco
Best Australian Cider or Perry: Barossa Cider Co – Squashed Apple Cider
Best International Cider or Perry: Cester Camillo – Sidro del Bosco
Most Successful Small Producer: Small Acres Cyder, New South Wales
Most Successful Larger Producer: William Smith & Sons, Tasmania
Champion of the Industry Award: Dr Clive Crossley and Lynne Uptin OAM, Tasmania

Picture: Barossa Valley Cider

Subscribe to our free @AuManufacturing newsletter here.