CRYOCONCENTRATION

NEIGE, FRUIT OF METAMORPHOSIS.

Neige Première stems from natural cryoconcentration. Produced since 1994, Neige Première is La Face Cachée’s leading inspiration. It is the very first ice cider (also known as apple ice wine) to be commercialized in Québec and throughout the world.

— In autumn, very ripe apples are picked and kept in cool storage until winter arrives. At the end of December, fruits are then pressed and the freshly-extracted juice is placed outside in the extreme cold temperatures of January. Slowly, the water crystallizes and separates from the sugar by natural cryoconcentration. After a few days of intense cold, the concentrated must, which represents one-fourth of the initial amount of juice, is collected through gravity. The extracted must is then placed in stainless steel tanks where it ferments for a period of approximately 8 months at low temperatures before being bottled. More than 6kg of apples are required to produce 1L of this ice cider.