What is
Calvados ?
Today, 300 Calvados producers cultivate the fine art of distilling this exceptional apple brandy. They have been carefully crafting this icon of the French “art de vivre” for five centuries.
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A unique history
HistoryFrom the Hesperides to Steve Jobs, the Garden of Eden to the Beatles, Newton to Magritte, the apple has captured the imagination since the dawn of mankind. In Normandy, it is an emblem and Calvados is its standard-bearer…
![A glass and a bottle of Calvados on a counter]()
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Fruit, wood, time & creativity
ProductionCrafting a great spirit is painstaking work and requires a unique savoir-faire. 3 million trees and 300 producers perpetuate the age-old tradition of Calvados-making.
![Calvados is poured into a beaker with a pipette]()
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The Calvados Trio with their Terroirs & Appellations
AppellationsThere are three AOCs for Calvados that share important similarities but also some significant differences in their typical character.
![At the bottom of an apple tree]()
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Understanding the label
Understanding the labelThe Calvados from the three appellations are separated into two types: blends and vintages.
![Aging and meticulousness in the cellars of Calvados]()
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An eco-friendly spirit
Eco-responsibilityIn line with the Normandy Region’s environmental health and ecosystem vitality policy, the Calvados production ecosystem is in complete symbiosis with its environment.
![Close-up on a pear tree flower]()
What is an AOC?
An Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is a French label identifying a product whose various stages of manufacturing (production and processing) are carried out in the same geographical area and according to recognised know-how. The concept was born in 1905, but it was not until 1935 that a legislative decree created the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. The first AOC status was awarded on 15 May 1936. The Calvados Pays d’Auge became an AOC in 1942. Today there are 3 AOCs for Calvados: Calvados (1984), Calvados Pays d’Auge and Calvados Domfrontais (1997).
