Chances are, the refreshing pear cider you enjoy after work or on a weekend could be produced by none other than South Australian-based Michael Redman.
The winery operations manager and cidermaker at Sidewood Estate in the Adelaide Hills has recently been awarded best dry style perry (pear cider) at the 2017 World Cider Awards in London.
It’s been handpicked – like its fruit – from 25 other pear ciders across the world, including five Australian.
Sidewood’s apple cider also took out a gold medal in the same awards – not bad for a winery which just happens to make cider, too.
“We first and foremost make wine,” Mr Redman said. “We are a 1000-tonne winery and we are just in the process of putting in a bottling line.
“I basically look after all the wine and cider from grape to bottle.”
The juicy, dessert style pears are sourced from Drury’s Orchard at Inglewood, which Mr Redman said makes them ideal for Sidewood’s perry (the correct term for pear cider).
And while he may be Redman by name, he admits to being more of a white wine man and less of a perry man, something he believes helped him to win the award.
“I don’t actually like cider so it’s very easy to make it the same flavour each time.”
As for the award, Mr Redman said the success and hard work behind the award hasn’t yet kicked in.
“I really haven’t had bloody time to think about it,” he laughed.
“A work colleague said to me it’s better than winning the Brownlow and I said, you are probably right.”
Sidewood has another connection to football, as the wine partner of Port Adelaide Football Club.
“We’ve got the real ‘pear’ of Port right here!”
Mr Redman’s role as operations manager means from February to May he is busy with the winery side of the business, but come November/December he’s knee deep in pears.
“This was a particularly long vintage so we are still trying to catch up,” he said.
So how did the man from Gloucester, NSWbecome part of the Barossa scene?
He’s quick to tell you it was a series of jobs which led him here, including working as a chef, in a newsagent and for the family timber mill company.
He moved to SA in 2013, with his first vintage done and dusted in 2014.
Mr Redman says he is definitely here to stay – he’s played 50-plus A and B grade games for Tanunda Hockey Club, and can’t wait to notch up his 100th.
And when it comes to the final product, Mr Redman says if he sees people out and about drinking his efforts – Sidewood cider is on tap at Stein’s Taphouse in Nuri – he’s more than happy to let them know.
“I’m certainly not backwards in coming forwards,” he laughed.
