INTERPROFESSION DES APPELLATIONS CIDRICOLES

The IDAC is the French interprofessional association of cider-based controlled appellations. Thus it is the business-to-business representative in the cider-based controlled appellations sector. It brings together the three controlled appellations of Calvados (AOC Calvados, AOC Calvados Pays d'Auge, AOC Calvados Domfrontais), the three controlled appellations of Pommeau (AOC Pommeau de Normandie, AOC Pommeau de Bretagne and AOC Pommeau du Maine) as well as four ciders and perries protected designations of origin (Cidre Pays d'Auge PDO, Cidre Cotentin PDO, Cidre Cornouaille PDO and Poiré Domfront PDO).

 
Orchestrated by the Calvados Spirits Council (IDAC) and funded in part by the European Union, the Calvados Authentic Spirits from Europe campaign was launched to raise awareness and recognition around the variety of European Geographic Indication (GI) spirits available on the US market.

This campaign aims to cultivate positive recognition around European GI spirits, as exemplified by Calvados, by educating professionals and consumers about the high-quality standards that apply to these products. Over the course of the campaign, Americans will have the opportunity to experience Calvados through Spirits Dinners, Masterclasses, trade shows, in-store promotions and other exciting events. For more information about the campagne, please visit the website. 

Europe is proud of the skill and savoir-faire of its producers and has chosen to highlight this through its visible designation system of quality labels. These labels ensure that products with European names are really made in Europe, in their specific Geographic Indication, following the recipes and processes refined over centuries. Calvados is an example of some of these labels in action. 

Calvados is an apple brandy made from distilling cider into a spirit, known as eau-de-vie, and aged at least 2 years in oak barrels. Hailing from the Normandy region, known for its mild climate, high rainfall, and abundance of apple orchards, Calvados has been produced locally for at least 5 centuries.  What began as a local tradition from apple farmers and cideries became increasingly popular over the years and evolved into the precisely distilled spirit we know today, represented by the Calvados appellation and available in three distinct PDOs. 

If you want to learn more about calvados and calvados producers, here is The list of calvados producers.