Sully's Traditional, Hand Crafted Ciders, Perry and Country Wines

The Watkins-Sully family originate from the picturesque Wye Valley, which dissects the two traditional cider and perry making counties of Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire.In 2007 they purchase a disused 1920s Cheese factory in the remote rural district of Reidsdale and when they discovered that a cider industry had once flourished at nearby Majors Creek it seemed only natural to gravitate towards reviving the districts's cider heritage. On further investigation they discovered a wealth of rare and wonderful cider apples and perry pears in remnant orchards throughout the district. Many of the varieties are still to be identified. With the help of David Pickering from the Orange Agricultural institute they have been propagating new trees from the old stock with an eye to produce fruit true to form and a possible identification.

As well as fruit from the remnant orchards they also use genuine cider varieties from their own plantings and feral fruit that has been identified as having cider apple qualities. In most cases the apples are blended in a quest to produce a cider of balance and complexity that rivals the finest wine. The small size of their operation, (mostly 300litre batches), enables them to experiment with a range of traditional cider and wine making techniques and styles.

Over the past three years they have produced:
Still cider, draught cider, bottle conditioned sparkling cider, méthode champenoise sparkling cider, sweet cider, dry cider, blended cider, single variety cider, keeved cider, oak aged cider, cider with quince, cider with meddler, cider with blackberry, cider with hawthorn, pear and apple cider, perry, apple mead, apple wine, blackberry wine, mulberry wine, plum wine, peach wine, grapefruit wine, sparkling elderflower wine, dandelion and burdock wine, stinging nettle beer and they also occasionally ferment the odd grape.

In the future they intend to continue to experiment whilst producing quality cider using the skills honed from past experiences. The search for local cider apples continues as does the propagation of cider apple trees with an eye to producing unique products with genuine links to the regions cultural heritage.