Shofang Pear Cider NV

Qinglong An Pears are unique to Qinhuangdo, turning yellow-green when ripe with thick coarse skin and tough flesh. Pears are milled for overnight oxidation, pressed and fermented. Fresh pear juice added for secondary fermentation in bottle.

On the nose it is invigorating - lifted nashi pears, mango skin, white tea, and straw. Fallen orchard fruits, fresh potting mix, and leathery palate. A Norman cider with a unique Chinese edge.

Inheriting her family’s vineyard at a time where neighbours were digging up their vines to plant higher-yielding crops, Shofang and her partner Levi have modernised their 30-year-old winery by rejecting the domestic demand for heavy Cabernet Sauvignons, instead using their Australian winemaking experience to work with old-vine Muscat Hamburg, using neutral oak, and opting for pure and aromatic cuvées. Qinhuangdao is also known for its Hanfu and Guoguang apples, An pears, and Shanhaiguan cherries - which Shofang uses for cidermaking. Just like the wines, all the ciders are fermented with indigenous yeasts with 100% local fruit - further contributing to the unique terroir of her home where the Great Wall meets the sea.