Devon based Sandford Orchards is thrilled to launch Katja Rosé (ABV 8%), a delicious, sparkling, skin contact rosé cider, crafted from the dessert apple Katja, with Rondo grapes from Darts Farm’s Pebblebed Vineyard. It will be available nationwide from early February in 750ml bottles from retail outlets, including Darts Farm and www.sandfordorchards.co.uk (RRP £10.40).
Barny Butterfield, Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards comments: “We were overwhelmed by the response we received to the original Katja that we launched last year. This encouraged us to create Katja Rosé, a sumptuous sparkling cider produced using the Martinotti method and inspired by the fresh Proseccos of Venezia.”
Barny continues: “This has also been an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate with our great friends at Darts Farm. The Rondo grapes used to create the wonderful pink tint to Katja Rosé were grown at Darts Farm’s Pebblebed Vineyard, just outside Exeter. We are delighted that we are now able to call Darts Farm our second home, with the recent unveiling of our new small batch cidery there. Katja Rosé is the product of this fabulously dynamic partnership and a celebration of the coming together of Sandford Orchards’ cider and Darts Farm’s vineyard.”
Katja Rosé is a fresh and fruity cider which tastes of sun ripened cherries and peaches with hints of apple blossom and candy floss, balanced with tannins from the wineskins. The addition of the Rondo grapes bestows wine notes and an unmistakable rosé finish to the cider. It retains all the fresh drinkability of a Katja cider but with added fruit and gentle complexity. Katja Rosé is a delight in its own right but also the perfect accompaniment to lighter fare such as high tea or a salad niçoise.
Michael Dart, owner of Darts Farm adds: “We are thrilled to have Barny Butterfield, founder of Sandford Orchards working alongside us. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, we are looking forward to seeing him get creative; this is just the beginning!”
Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. The area has long been known as one of the most fertile parishes in all of Britain, both for its grazing and ability to grow apples. Crediton sits in the lee of the moors, so receives the right amount of rain and the right units of heat in summer. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards harnesses these natural assets to produce an award-winning range of core session, flavoured, traditional and fine ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
*Sandford Orchards Katja Rosé (ABV 8%) will be available from early February in 750ml bottles RRP £10.40 and can be purchased from selected retail outlets, including Darts Farm or online at www.sandfordorchards.co.uk.
