Onirique: Qui évoque un rêve, semble sorti d'un rêve.
Something evoking a dream, coming from a dream
Ancient apple trees scattered across Sebastopol, farmed consciously and respectfully, provide fruit of immense concentration and character. Fermented with native yeasts, free of added sulphites, and conditioned en tirage, these living ciders express the pomological tale of Sonoma county’s antique orchards. Our 2023 vintage is available now.
Trees
of
Antiquity
Caring of these orchards takes on many forms. Simply harvesting their apples dignifies them, providing for their seasonal demands invigorates them. You’ll find Onirique’s apples farmed with respect for the world around them. Those bought from local farmers are organic, and those coming from orchards stewarded by myself are holistically treated. Routinely sprayed with lacto-fermented herbs, compost teas, natural oils and beneficial microbes to encourage a living microbiological flora on the fruit and tree, the orchard is encouraged to balance itself with the surrounding ecosystem. BD 501 is used to stimulate photosynthesis, apple maturity and disease resistance; The silica in this spray targets and strengthens the bond between the plant and the cosmos. Irrigation is non-existent, having been planted on standard seedling rootstocks superior in water and nutrient uptake. Trees of antiquity such as they are, apples of immense concentration, complexity, and diversity result from them, and although often of humble cultivar, express characteristics beyond what might be assumed by their variety.
With respect to the apples, Onirique Cider is made to express their qualities; you should find an intense apple characteristic in our ciders.
Prolonged maceration on pulp and skins is done to this effect. When applicable, the Normand tradition of Keeving, called Défécation, is utilized. This process consolidates the pectins naturally occurring in fruit juices and their corresponding yeast assimilable nitrogen, attaching them to rising sediment as fermentation begins.
Subsequent rackings liberates the de-invigorated juice from this sediment, where indigenous yeasts embark on a prolonged, masterfully patient fermentation. Residual sweetness is sometimes achieved by careful management of nitrogen and yeast populations, and to that end light filtrations will take place prior to bottling.
An equally patient Prise-de-mousse period captures the CO2 from the secondary fermentation in bottle, or en tirage. At no point are sulphites or other irritants added, neither are flavors, colorants or other fruit juices. These ciders are a hommage to the apple (and sometimes pear).
From the Retornaz Family
The entire Retornaz family makes Onirique possible, along with countless friends who have contributed themselves and their time.
Onirique is the French word for “Dreamlike” or better yet : Qui évoque un rêve, semble sorti d'un rêve. This project is the Onirique desire of father-and-son Jeremy and Bernard Retornaz to share their collective energy, expression, and experience. Working at a prominent organic apple farm and cidery in Normandy, Jeremy learned of the rich traditions and practices associated with the Calvados region, and later introduced this brand into the US market. Seeing the potential for cider, and discovering the pomological potential of Sonoma County upon his return stateside, Jeremy and Bernard created Onirique in an attempt to express this place through the lens of cider. What results from this “Projet d’Onirique” are ciders reminiscent of Normandy, with a uniquely Californian soul.
