Avalon Vineyard nestles on a sunny hillside, overlooking the broad Vale of Avalon that encompasses the striking landmark of Glastonbury Tor and merges with the timeless tranquillity of the Somerset Levels. Their range of organic wines, fruit wines, mead and cider is completely free of chemical residues, and these quality products are grown and created in harmony with wildlife and the environment, deep in the Somerset countryside.

They make cider in the old, traditional way, starting with a good mixture of old varieties of cider apples, gathered by hand and put through a mill, which is run off the back of an old Ferguson tractor. The apple pulp is shovelled onto a bed of oat-straw on the cider press and built up into a 'cheese', by alternating successive layers of straw and apple until the press can take no more, (about 1 ton of apples). By the time this is done the trough is full of 'free-run' juice which has to be pumped to the fermentation vat.

A heavy wooden board, (the 'follower'), is placed on top of the cheese with crossbeams to transmit the pressure as the beam is lowered and tightened. An impressive flow of juice soon fills the trough again. However the remaining juice takes some serious work to extract. A massive iron bar is used to turn the centre capstan, which drives the two huge cogwheels whose threaded shafts apply increasing pressure to the 'cheese'. As the juice runs out, the pressure drops and so the press has to be continually retightened until it only dribbles and then drips.

The whole process takes at least a day, but they will often continue pressing for another day or more. The spent 'pomace' is removed to the compost heap, where it can decompose and eventually return its nutrients to the soil. The organic straw mixed with the pomace helps this process.

The juice is allowed to ferment naturally, using the wild yeast on the apples. Most of the cider is simply racked off and sold as draught cider, straight from the barrel, as it always was in the past. They also filter and bottle some cider, so that it keeps and travels better.

Pennard Organic Dry Cider has a dry, but soft taste, with a lingering, woody finish. An interesting feature is that each batch of cider is liable to be different, depending on the mix of apple varieties gathered for each batch. Drink with respect from a wine glass.

Avalon Vineyard, The Drove, East Pennard, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6UA

Directions by road: Best route is from the A37 (the Fosseway), about 5 miles south of Shepton Mallet. Turn west at the crossroads at the foot of Wraxall Hill, opposite the Queen's Arms Pub. Proceed for 1.5 miles; do not turn right into East Pennard village. Look for our signs on the right, directing you up The Drove. Avalon Vineyard is at the end of this rough track.

Juicing the cheeses at Avalon Vineyard.