Keep a lookout for the Brown's stellar cider

A CONVERSATION about old-fashioned cider making was the catalyst for what has become a unique boutique cider business in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley.

Chris and Caroline Brown bought their property, which was previously a walnut and pear orchard, at Rosevears in 2014. 

Since then, the couple have transformed the property into a thriving cider business and a haven for insects and wildlife thanks to their strong focus on environmental sustainability and diversity. 

Mr Brown said it was a chat with his father-in-law, about his experiences while running an orchard in the Huon Valley and producing cider, that had initially sparked his interest in cider production. 

After experimenting with different production techniques and producing some small amounts of cider, the Browns bought the property with the aim of setting up their own cider production and agritourism business. 

“Initially we were never going to grow an orchard because we’re not really orchardists, but we ended up putting a small one in,” Mr Brown said. 

“We decided that we would probably have to grow some fruit and we’d get some from outside as well. We don’t tend to do a lot of care for it and the apples have to survive on their own to a large degree.” 

The orchard which saw the first trees planted in 2016 now includes 83 different apple varieties the couple have carefully selected to help give their ciders unique flavour profiles. 

“We went to the research station at Grove and looked at as much information as we could get,” Mr Brown said. 

“We looked at all the characteristics of the trees and cider varieties, We automatically excluded the 12 to 15 commercial varieties, because we thought if we want to use those we can get them from elsewhere. 

"We wanted to grow interesting ones and if they sounded a bit odd, we just put a couple of trees in.” 

Mr Brown said they had already decided prior to establishing the orchard that they wanted to use the more exclusive Mèthode Traditionelle technique for cider production, which is most commonly used to make sparkling wine. 

To learn more, they traveled to Europe to see how wine makers use the Mèthode Traditionelle and also completed a cider making course in the United Kingdom. As part of the process the couple’s ciders are aged on lees for a minimum of three years. 

Mr Brown said because they use different fruit combinations, each annual batch of cider is unique. 

“We’re basically doing dry ciders, as in line with the sparkling wine, but we add just a sugar to take the edge off it at the end,” he said. 

“What we’re doing is all fruit and the characteristic is how well we make the cider.” 

They have about 2ha of apple trees and another hectare of grape vines on the property. 

As well as their cider, during harvest season the couple also sell fresh apples at the Harvest Market in Launceston. 

Mr Brown said they have developed quite a following of customers who are keen to buy some of their more unusual varieties. 

They also sell their ciders directly from the cellar door and through some specialist retailers. 

Mr Brown started building what is now their cellar door, production and storage facility a couple of years after they moved to the property. 

The purpose-built facility has cool store areas for the apples during harvest season and storage capacity for 70,000 bottles if needed. 

As well as using their own apples, the couple source fruit from other orchards to make their cider.

A big focus has also been improving the biodiversity across the property. 

Part of that work has included fencing off areas of remnant vegetation, getting rid of weeds and restoring riparian areas. 

Mr Brown said they have recently sold their small amount of sheep and now plan to rehabilitate those areas with native vegetation creating a mosaic pattern or trees and grass areas. 

“When we came here about a third of the place was covered in blackberries an hawthorns, so I have literally cut thousands of hawthorn trees down,” he said. 

The couple both work off farm as well, so Mr Brown said they have long term plans to do more restoration work across the property when they get time. 

They have also been involved in a project focusing on the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot project with NRM North. The project focuses on creating habitat to support and protect the bandicoots in the West Tamar area and now covers about 120ha in the region. 

Mr Brown said feral cats are a significant issue for the bandicoots and he hopes getting rid of the sheep will help create more grass cover for the bandicoots. 

The couple are also members of Farmers For Climate Action and Mr Brown said changing climatic conditions, including less chill hours over winter could become a challenge for fruit production in some areas as time goes on. 

Mr Brown said while they are still producing several thousand bottles of cider each year, they have recently scaled back production a little with the aim of maintaining their boutique style business.