058: Eric Bordelet | Ancient Pears, Chay Tour Part 2

058: Eric Bordelet | Ancient Pears, Chay Tour Part 2

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 7, 2016 Duration: 47:13

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

We begin this chat with Eric Bordelet in the Pear Orchard…He lead us into a large green field with low grass. We look out in the distance and see 35 foot high trees ahead. The trees are laden with fruit. The background music is the sound of pears dropping to the ground.

 

This is Part 2 of a two part chat with Eric. Listen to Part 1 here.

There is a skip in his step as he walks towards the each  giant of a tree, picking up fallen pears as he goes along to hold for a moment and feel it stage of ripening.

The girth of some of the largest pear trees are much too wide for me to circle with only two arms.

If a knight in full armor came riding into the field on his way to Paris,  I would not have been surprised.

It is as if we drank the tea and fell into the rabbit hole rolling back time.

Soon Eric is pointing out the grafts on some of the oldest trees and my sense of normal is thrown even further  off balance.

Unlike the 200 year old apple trees I've seen in New England back in the USA, the graft lines on these pear trees are at least 4 feet high. It is as if the tree was sawed off and then perhaps a cleft graft was used.

There is a visible graft line as if the root stock of an ancient pear tree was sawn off  and then the new pear tree grafts where attached.

We then move on to Chateau de Hauteville where Eric is rebuilding the castle on this site.

After a tour in the Castle, we walk down to the cidery and touch upon BioDynamic Farming.

 

Contact Eric Bordelet

Eric Bordelet
Chateau de Hauteville
53250 Charchigné - France
 
Website: http://www.ericbordelet.com/
Tel : 0243039572
Fax: 0243000936email : eric@ericbordelet.com

Mentions in this chat

http://www.parc-naturel-normandie-maine.fr/ the region of France where Eric's Chay is located

BioDynamic Farming

Stella Natura 2017 Lunar Calendar for BioDynamic planting and farming

Ask for the following 3 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville.

 

Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC

 

Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania

 

Oliver's Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK

 

Santa Cruz Cider Company - California

 

The Cider Project - California

 

Go to this page to see the ciderchat.com show notes page with photos

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts.

Follow on twitter @ciderchat

Haven't downloaded this chat yet? Here is is again.


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
248: New England Quince Taste Test [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:40
The New England Quince Taste Test 2020 was hosted by Vermont Quince. Nan Stefanik founded Vermont Quince in 2012 and coined the hashtag #growquince Her passion for this pomme is contagious and her quince based products h…
247: Marijuana, Cider and the Law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
Marijuana as of 2020 is now legal in 15 states in the United States. CBD products are popping up in can drinks nearly every where you look these days. Is it legal? Can cider now be fused with cider or at least CBD or per…
246: Becoming Pomona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:54
Becoming Pomona was recorded at the 25th Franklin County CiderDays in November of 2019. The goal of this pomona panel discussion was to share personal stories on the inspirational effect of CiderDays on women in the cide…
245: Apples of New England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:51
245: Apples of New England "Apples of New England" was presented by Russell Steven Powell Powell served as executive director of the New England Apple Association from 1998 to 2024 ( the NEAA closed it's doors on June 30…
244: Traveling the Cider Trail | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:53
Franklin County CiderDays now has a "Cider Trail" with 16 stops covering western Massachusetts and the Berkshires! This is part 2 of the series on traveling the Cider Trail and we will look at 10 stops along the trail. E…
243: Cider Trail 2020 | CiderDays Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:34
Plan the Perfect Cider Road Trip! This is Part 1 of a two part series on the new Cider Trail for Franklin County CiderDays 2020. The following is a recommended loop to visit 5 venues on the map. You can go in either dire…
242: Selecting Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:41
Tips on "SelectIng Your Perfect Cider" With so many choices on the shelf, purchasing cider can begin to feel daunting! This episode will provide tips to help you make that choice when faced with a wide range of cider sty…
241: How to Bottle Cider at Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:26
How to Bottle Cider at Home is Part 6 and the final episode of the Cidermaker Series "Oh September" for 2020 Learn How to Make Cider at Home in Part 1 of this Cidermaking Series. Part 5 To Rack or Not To Rack is a must l…
240: To Rack or Not to Rack | Cidermaking Series Part 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:44
This chat provides a a sip of something for everyone, from makers who want to improve their skills to consumers who enjoy knowing why a cider tastes a particular way. In this Cider Chat, we look at the next step after pr…
239: Scrub-a-Dub Valves & Vessels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:25
Cleaning considerations for 3 different cider operations - DYI, Farm Winery and Production with Stormalong Cider. (l-r) Ben Roberts-Sano, Bright McConnell, Shannon Edgar DIY - Home Cidermaking It is soak and scrub for th…