AusCider 2019, Tasmania, 3-5 June 2019

National industry body Cider Australia has announced that next year’s national cider conference will be held in Tasmania from 3 – 5 June 2019.

AusCider 2019 will bring together cider producers, fruit growers, researchers and cider industry representatives from across Australia. The UK’s first accredited pommelier (cider sommelier), award winning drinks writer and consultant Jane Peyton will join proceedings as guest international delegate and keynote speaker.

President of Cider Australia and co-founder of Willie Smith’s Cider Makers, Sam Reid, said the cider industry is grateful for the support of the Tasmanian Government which has enabled Cider Australia to bring the conference to Tasmania.

“Tasmania is overloaded with exceptional food and drink experiences and has fast become a national hub for fermentation R&D, making it the perfect place to hold the 2019 conference”, said Mr Reid.

AusCider 2019 will be held in conjunction with the annual conference of Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT). “FGT are excited to have Cider Australia join them in Hobart for their 2019 conference”, said the organisation’s CEO Stu Burgess. “The Tasmanian fruit sector has a long history of supporting the cider industry with numerous premium brands producing exceptional value added products for sale at cellar door, domestically and also in high value export markets. In the first week of June, we look forward to showcasing the fantastic profitable businesses right from ‘paddock to bottle’!”

Members of state-based cider industry body Cider Tasmania are delighted that the conference is being held locally and look forward to contributing to making the conference a success. The conference program will include one and a half days at the C3 Convention Centre in South Hobart followed by site visits and events in other regions of Tasmania.

Further information about the conference including program and ticketing information will be released on Cider Australia’s website in early 2019.

www.cideraustralia.org.au
www.jane-peyton.com

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About Cider Australia

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry.

About AusCider 2019

The Australian Cider Conference (AusCider 2019) is the cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event. It connects cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other industry representatives from Australia and internationally. The Batlow CiderFest organised and ran the first seven conferences in Batlow, NSW. Cider Australia will now manage the event as it moves to major cider centres in other states.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

To interview Cider Australia spokespeople and other industry representatives, please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au.

Australia’s largest craft cider festival returns to Sydney next month mixing fun, frivolity, education and an amazing selection of local and internationally crafted ciders.

The sixth Australian Cider Festival will be held at the Mercure Sydney at the top of George Street, Chippendale from 12-6pm on Saturday 6th October.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid said festival attendees are in for a treat with 20+ craft cider producers to exhibit alongside a feast of tempting food and live entertainment.

“Festival goers will be able to sample and meet the makers of the best ciders available in Australia while relaxing on the Mercure’s sunny outdoor terrace – worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of Railway Square below”, Mr Reid said.

“Many of the ciders that producers will show at the festival can only be tasted when visiting cellar doors, so this is a great opportunity to try some weird and wonderful ciders you might not otherwise see”, said Mr Reid.

“There is no better place than the Australian Cider Festival to brush up your cider knowledge and join in the biggest celebration of craft cider ever held in Australia!”

The festival will be held in conjunction with the launch of the world’s first craft cider trust mark and the presentation of the 2018 Australian Cider Awards at a gala dinner on Friday 5th October.

Richard Feyn from Sydney Brewery said, “Sydney Brewery and the Mercure Sydney are proud to be supporting the festival as major sponsors this year, reflecting our support of Australian cider producers”.

Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the festival with 100+ local and international ciders available to taste, cider-matched food and master classes throughout the afternoon.

Cider brands appearing at the festival include Cheeky Grog Co, Darkes Cider, Flying Brick Cider Co, Hillbilly Cider, LOBO Cider, Incy Wincy Cyder, Kelly Brothers Cider Co, Napoleone Cider, Pomologist Cider, Sydney Cider, The Apple Thief, Westons Australia and Willie Smith’s Cider.

Tickets to the festival are $40 presale or $45 at the door and include unlimited free tastings, a tasting glass and program.

To buy tickets visit eventbrite.com.au. Visit facebook.com/australianciderfestival or cideraustralia.org.au for more details.

Contact office@cideraustralia.org.au with stallholder queries.

Cider making excellence will be under the spotlight at the annual Australian Cider Awards, which opened for entries today.

Australia’s largest cider show enters its eighth year with expectations of more than 300 entries and a commitment to show the world that Australian ciders are up there with the best.

President of Cider Australia and co-founder of Willie Smith’s Cider Makers in Tasmania Sam Reid said the Awards have become a stamp of quality that producers respect and aspire towards.

“By recognising excellence in production we encourage the cider industry to keep building skills, investing and pushing the boundaries of what consumers expect”, said Mr Reid.

“We have introduced a new low alcohol cider and perry class this year in response to growth in this segment of the market, and predict a continued surge in entries of more complex traditional ciders and craft spirits.

“Every year more entries excite and “wow” the palates of our judges, and we can’t wait to see what emerges this year.

“This year with the Australian industry beginning to focus on exporting as part of the $500,000 Export and Regional Wine Support package there will be an even greater focus on how Australian ciders perform against their International counterparts, and I for one can’t wait until the Awards dinner!”, he said.

Twenty-eight classes will be judged covering standard cider and perry, specialty and intensified and distilled styles.

Winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner on Friday 5th October at the Mercure Sydney, with more celebrations at the Australian Cider Festival on Saturday 6th October.

Enter the 2018 Australian Cider Awards online via www.cideraustralia.org.au/awards

Entries close on Friday 31st August 2018.

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE IN THE 2018 Style Guide AND 2018 Competition Information.

 

For more details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au. Follow the Awards via twitter @cideraustralia and the #australianciderawards hashtag.

2018 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Fri 1 June
Entries Close	Fri 31 Aug
Deliver Entries	3 – 14 Sept
Judging (closed to public)	Tue 25 and Wed 26 Sept (Melbourne)
Awards Presentation	Fri 5 Oct (Sydney)
Australian Cider Festival	Sat 6 Oct (Sydney)

Media representatives are invited to visit the judging in central Melbourne, but this is closed to the public.

 

 

 

The competition director of the world’s largest cider show GLINTCAP will judge at the 2018 Australian Cider Awards.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid today revealed the judging panel for the 8th national cider show.

“I’m pleased to announce that Eric West from the United States will be our guest international judge this year”, said Mr Reid.

Mr West runs the renowned online information and news resource Cider Guide (ciderguide.com) and is a leading cider educator with many accolades to his name, including the prized United States Association of Cider Makers’ Significant Contribution to the Cider Industry award.

“Eric has an amazing knowledge of ciders from all corners of the world, impressive judging credentials and a real passion for spreading the good word on cider which fits our guest judge role perfectly”, said Mr Reid.

The independent panel of judges will be chaired by Behn Payten of Payten & Jones Wines and include Mr West, Mike Bennie (freelance writer and journalist), Sebastian Crowther MS (Rockpool Dining Group), Briony Liebich (Lion Co) and Jody Scott (NZ’s Zeffer Cider).

“The remarkable quality and breadth of expertise on the panel is one of the things that sets the Awards apart and we’re proud to be able to put together a panel of this calibre”, Mr Reid said.

Mr West will run workshops while in Australia on the current state of the US cider industry and the organisation and management of GLINTCAP, the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition.

Entries to the 2018 Australian Cider Awards open on 1 June.

Award winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner in Sydney on 5 October.

For further details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson at office@cideraustralia.org.au or 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au

AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS BACKGROUND

• Cider Australia will run the 8th annual Australian Cider Awards in Spring 2018.
• The Australian Cider Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia. Last year there were 250 entries from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, US, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
• Judging will be held over 2 days in late September at the William Angliss Institute in central Melbourne. The judging is closed to entrants and the public.
• The Judging panel comprises 6 judges (including the guest international judge) and 2 associate judges.
• Products can be entered in one of 28 Award classes covering Traditional and New World cider and perry, specialty and intensified/distilled styles.
• Key changes to the class structure in 2018 are:
  • the ‘Medium’ cider and perry classes will be split into ‘Medium Dry’ (~ 9 – 35g/L sugar) and ‘Medium Sweet’ (~ 35-40g/L sugar) reflecting the number of products that are being entered in this sweetness range.
  • a new low alcohol cider class for products with an ABV of 1.15-3.5% will be added to the schedule.
  • the apple and pear spirits class will be split into a non-aged (Eau de Vie) and an aged spirits class.
• Results will be announced at a gala cider industry dinner on Friday 5 October 2018 in Sydney.
• The Awards is an important precursor to the largest craft cider festival in Australia, the annual Australian Cider Festival, to be held on Saturday 6 October 2018 in Sydney.

Full entry details including the competition rules and 2018 Style Guide will be available soon at www.cideraustralia.org.au

Cider Australia welcomes today’s announcement by the Federal Government that it will restrict the Wine Equalisation Tax rebate to genuine cider businesses that sell branded Australian cider and perry.

The WET rebate scheme was designed to support small wine producers in rural and regional Australia but has faced substantial ‘rorting’ and claims by unintended recipients.

Cider Australia president Sam Reid said the reforms acknowledge the local cider producers whose activities directly support rural and regional communities and drive diversity and ongoing growth in the Australian cider market.

“Once these reforms are enacted a cider business will need to own the apples and pears in a product from pressing through to the final packaging, in effect restricting ciders made from imported juice concentrate”, said Mr Reid.

“The reforms reflect Cider Australia’s view that the rebate should only be available to cider made from 100% Australian juice that supports regional agricultural communities in Australia. It’s also a great opportunity for us to start a conversation about Australian Craft Cider, which we feel will be the next growth driver for the category”.

“Cider Australia would like to commend Senator Ruston and her team for the consultative manner in which they have engaged the industry, ensuring a positive outcome for Australian growers and producers”, said Mr Reid.

With the assurance that Australian craft cider producers will continue to be eligible for the rebate, Cider Australia will now refocus its efforts on the definition of cider and truth in cider labelling.

“Cider Australia remains concerned about the impact of cuts to the rebate cap without any change to the current disparate definitions of cider in Australian tax laws and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards (FSANZ) Code and calls on the Government to rectify this and improve the integrity of cider labelling”.

“For instance, globally most countries have a minimum juice content included in their definition of cider and yet we still don’t have any requirement in either of the legal definitions in Australia”.

“We look forward to working with the Government to reform current labelling laws to level the playing field and provide consumers with accurate information about where the fruit in their cider comes from. We believe that this will improve the ability of our members to innovate and capitalise on emerging export opportunities like we have seen in the wine industry”, said Mr Reid.

For more details or interviews contact Cider Australia President Sam Reid on 0434 734 797.