In Normandy’s colorful, New England-like autumn, apple aromas fill the air as apples are harvested to make that potent spirit that fortifies on a frosty winter evening.

Unlike Cognac, that is exported in impressive quantities around the world, Calvados is produced in much smaller quantities and with the exception of some of the top producers, is consumed locally. My destination on this post-harvest October day was one of those high-end producers,The Christian Drouin Calvados Estate, in Coudray-Rabut.

In Normandy’s colorful, New England-like autumn, apple aromas fill the air as apples are harvested to make that potent spirit that fortifies on a frosty winter evening.

Unlike Cognac, that is exported in impressive quantities around the world, Calvados is produced in much smaller quantities and with the exception of some of the top producers, is consumed locally. My destination on this post-harvest October day was one of those high-end producers,The Christian Drouin Calvados Estate, in Coudray-Rabut.

orchardAccompanied by several colleagues from the APE (Foreign Press Association,) I was met in the orchard by Guillaume Drouin, grandson of the founder, who began my Calvados education with a discussion of the thirty varieties of apples and pears that give Calvados it’s distinctive flavor. They range from bitter, tart, slightly acidic and  sweet; crunchy and soft, as we discovered by sampling those that had fallen to the ground.

An interesting sidelight to the production is that the cows that produce Normandy’s  famous cheeses: Camembert, Pont L’Eveque and Livarot, love to eat the worm-eaten apples that fall in September- excellent natural fertilizer.

distillAfter distillation the Calvados in aged in oak casks that were previously used for sherry, port and Banyuls. These re-used casks give more body, richer color and greater aromatic richness that new casks.

As a special treat we were invited to taste the gamut of Drouin products over lunch, prepared by Guillaume’s mother.

To accompany the moist foie gras au pommeau (a blend of Calvados and apple juice) Guillaume served Poiré, a slightly sparkling beverage made from the pressing of pears immediately after they have fallen from the tree.

Before our main course we were offered two additional apéritifs: a Cidre Brut, considered by The New York Times to be the finest on the world, and the Pommeau that was used in the preparation of our foie gras entrée, and is also an excellent companion to desserts.

The main course was pan cooked quail, served with a VSOP blend of 5-12 year old Calvados.

It was an equally good partner with a classic Normandy assortment of Camembert, Pont l’Eveque and Livarot.

We finished this simple, classic Norman meal, with an apple tart and a 1995 Pays d’Auge.

And now we were ready for some serious tasting of the young and the old, including a 1958 and the limited production Pomme Prisonnière that I first tasted at the Left Bank restaurant in Larkspur, California in 1992.