This global pandemic has affected two consumer areas massively – travel and hospitality.

Cider Is Wine has added a touch of adventure to those by helping Abel Méthode Cider to be imported and distributed in the UK from New Zealand.

When Mark McGill, Abel’s award-winning cidermaker, approached Cider Is Wine, having lost 90% of his business overnight through the pandemic, both businesses saw the opportunity to market in the UK – the biggest cider market in the world.

We mostly think of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc when we consider wine from New Zealand – Abel Method is neither aromatic wine nor diluted juice cider, but made like wine – Champagne actually – and from apples and pears.

Made in small quantities once a year from freshly harvested, hand-picked apples and pears, using predominantly heritage varieties that have been grown near exotic holiday-city Nelson, New Zealand, for over 120 years. These include Cox’s Orange Pippin, Sturmer, Kingston Black, Foxwhelp, Bisquet, Winter Nellis, Winter Cole, and others in small amounts.

Crushed and fermented exclusively from those apples and pears in stainless steel to extract the full fruit flavour, the cider undergoes secondary fermentation in bottle – like Champagne – for 12 to 18 months prior to release.

A true artisan cider with no added water, juice concentrates or other fruit, it’s also gluten free, vegetarian and vegan friendly – so unlike any commercial cider made from limited amounts of juice or concentrate.

Its maker is adventurous and so is the cider – the difference is in the taste!

Mark McGill of Abel Cider said "We've wanted Abel Method to sell in the UK for a couple of years, ironically the pandemic has created that opportunity. We're looking forward to hoofing beer out of the fridge and seeing Abel drunk instead of wine."

Alistair Morrell of Cider Is Wine said "We're delighted to be able to offer the platform for UK sales of Abel Method and all its terroir, 100% juice, not-from-concentrate credentials. It's set to become a benchmark amongst its peers, surprising and delighting consumers and trade alike."  

Non-disgorged, the result is a bone-dry fine cider that’s refreshing and full of flavour with an ageing potential of 5-10 years.

Later this year Cider Is Wine and Abel will be hosting a virtual live online tasting, beamed all the way from Nelson, north of the South Island, guaranteed to intrigue consumers with views of the fabulous vistas from the Abel property and orchards, followed by a tour to the cidery and a tasting with Mark.

It’s travel, tourism and tasting wrapped up into one for a hundredth of the cost of a flight and time taken to visit in person – and a great way to celebrate, surprise and delight!

More About Abel Cider

Abel was founded in 2008 by Mark & Sophie McGill, both with wine industry backgrounds, because they struggled to find anything on the market that actually tasted like the fruit it was made from.

New Zealand is renowned for its delicious apples and pears, and the Nelson region plays a massive part in this, so they set out with the objective of showcasing the best of New Zealand's apples and pears in a delicious and refreshing cider.

The company’s first commercial release was the 2015 vintage, simply because it took all of 7 years to really perfect a cider that truly represented New Zealand, using their knowledge of the winemaking process to do this.

Says Mark McGill, "Our vision is to get cider out of the beer fridge and drunk as an alternative to wine. We’re all about showcasing the fruit – in this case the Nelson region’s apples and pears – and I like to think of our cider as a lower-in-alcohol alternative to sparkling wine.”

More About Cider Is Wine

Cider Is Wine is a quality mark, which sets the global standard for ciders and perries exclusively made from apples and pears.

As a UK-based trade alliance with global reach across 4 continents – Europe, the Americas, and Australasia – working to create a new market for ciders fermented exclusively from 100% not-from-concentrate apple (or pear) juice – ciders made just like (grape) wines –  and positioning these ciders in the wine sector, where they belong. 

The 100% not-from-concentrate juice content requirement reflects EU regulations that cover wines made from grapes, as against the 35% juice content that the UK allows for ciders – a level which most mass market UK cidermakers follow, as one of the many varying standards from across other parts of the world (from 0% to 50%).

Cider Is Wine sets out to ask why ciders should be any different from the strict 100% content regulations of grape wines, whilst leaving consumers to wonder what the other 65% of their ciders consists of – and to demonstrate the difference that 100% juice content makes to pure drinking pleasure!

Cider Is Wine precisely reflects what consumers are looking for in terms of authenticity and craftsmanship, the use of quality ingredients, themselves tied to locality (provenance – and 'terroir’, as winemakers say), together with the difference (uniqueness) that the skill of the cidermaker brings to the mix (and ciders tend to have only half the alcohol of wines).

Abel Méthode Cider is available to buy from Cider Is Wine, RRP £16 for a 50cl bottle – just click this link: Cider Is Wine Shop - Abel

Link to Abel Video

Link to “try Abel for free” Celebration Case 

Abel Méthode Cider: A Selection of Quotes

“Mark and Sophie McGill are proven gurus when it comes to making great quality cider. That’s their background, that’s their strength.” Yvonne Lorkin, Wine Editor

“Bone dry and full of lightning-fresh green apple, tangy pear and a crisp, refreshing finish. I would say minerality as I'm struggling for another word for fresh.  This is so damn refreshing!” Ben Franks Wine (UK)

“…by treating the product like a fine sparkling wine (read: gentle fruit handling, secondary bottle fermentation, un-fined, unfiltered), they’ve crafted a drop that’s bone dry, approachable and also compelling. Drink this alongside some of your favourite cheese.”Blackhearts & Sparrows 

“Best dry cider I have ever had.  A serious cider fermented on its skins with an interesting floral nose and a dry clean finish that will keep you looking for your glass.” @hopngrape

“Abel Cider makers do one thing and they do it bloody well. They make apple cider, fully fermented with skins, seeds and stems, with zero sugar, water or concentrate added, bottle fermented and aged just like Champagne. Trust us when we say there are very few other cider companies making a product this natural… smells like a cross between a dry white wine, and juicy apple, the palate is bone dry with racing acidity finishing very crisp.” Fine Wine Delivery Co 

“Best International Cider of 2017: Abel Methode Cider… Sophisticated yet edgy yet perfectly balanced.”  @realciderreviews

“One for wine lovers as well as cider fans.” Jo Burzynska, Wine Editor  

What the Masters of Wine, Food Critics , Chefs, Journalists and those in the know say:

• “The difference this makes in flavour is amazing” Christine Austin Yorkshire Post July 2020
• “A revelation” Joanna Simon - Instagram
• “Cider just isn’t cider any more – one of the most astonishing, eye-opening tastings this year” Peter Richards MW – Instagram post cider tasting April 2019
• “Goodness, this has changed my mind that ciders can be made just like wine” Tim Atkin, Three Wine Men Dec 2019
• “[Ciders] like wine can’t help but tell the story of who made it, where, and the flavour of each unique apple variety” Olly Smith, Three Wine Men Dec 2019
• “I think my customers will be thrilled by these ciders” Restaurateur
• “Who really knew that ciders could taste like this?” Sommelier
• Thanks Guys, you’ve ruined the wine tasting for me. These ciders are bloody brilliant” Converted Consumer post The Wine Gang Oct 2019

For more information, contact:

Alistair Morrell….

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