Muscadet de Dieppe

Why you should be excited

Muscadet de Dieppe is a bittersweet cider apple that’s highly-thought of among French cider fans.

The story of Muscadet de Dieppe

We know even less about old cider apples than the ancient varieties of fresh-eating and cooking apples.

Muscadet de Dieppe, for example, is really only known to have been widely grown in Normandy, France, as far back as 1750.

Beyond that, all we can say is that it’s a favoured variety in a region that’s consistently produced fine cider, not the mass-produced sickly-sweet plonk dominating the English and North American industries.

Fine ciders are usually made using blends of different apples; if you encounter a quality French bittersweet, there’s a reasonable chance it’s got some of this variety in it.

Muscadet de Dieppe Facts

Its origins

Discovered in Dieppe, France, around 1750.

Flavour, aroma, texture

This cider apple delivers a bittersweet and aromatic juice.

Appearance

A small, orange-red flushed apple.

When they’re available

Late season (usually in mid-October).

Quality for fresh eating

You won't want to try eating this apple fresh.

Quality for cooking

You'll also want to steer clear of cooking with this variety.

Quality for cider

Very good. Yep, bittersweet apples only work for one thing: making really good cider!

Keeping ability

Irrelevant (Just get that cider fermenting...).