The roots of the Kelterei Heil can be found in a pub in the village of Laubus-Eschbach. In the mid-1940s, when no beer or other drinks were available to sell in the pub, the Heil family revived an old tradition and decided to produce their own cider. Grandpa Heil swapped a goat from the family farm for an apple press. Since then, the Kelterei Heil has become one of the most important producers of ciders and fruit juices in Hesse.
In contrast to the early days, when only apple wine and apple juice were produced, the current product range comprises more than 60 different products. Several of these products have received prizes and medals. Moreover, the Kelterei Heil was the first cider producer in Hesse with an IFS certification.
For many years, the company has welcomed hundreds of visitor groups and staged its own events in which thousands of people have participated. Every year, the Kelterei Heil sells apple trees, resulting in 47.000 trees that have been planted so far.
Kelterei Heil has recently joined the International Organic Awards 2021 and received awards for the following products:
GOLD AWARDED PRODUCTS
Bio Cidre Trocken
Fichtekranz
SILVER AWARDED PRODUCTS
Bio Cidre Lieblich
Bio Apfelsaft
Bio Cidre is a sparkling and refreshing organic cider specialty. The apples used for it come from wild apple orchards with many different apple varieties ranging from sweet to a more sour taste. This is very important because only a mixture of apples provides a balanced content of acid and fruit sugar that makes a good cider. However, not only choosing the right apples is crucial, but also the cellar master’s art of steering the fermentation process of the apple juice. Christof Heil and his team attach great importance to both! Two flavors of the refreshing ‚Bio Apfel Cidre’ are available: ‚sweet’ with 2.8 % vol. alc. and ‚dry’ with 4.5 % vol. alc., they are sold in a 0.75-l-bottle.
In Hesse, a spruce wreath („Fichtekranz”) above the door of a restaurant shows that the cider culture has a home in this house. And so it is with us: Fichtekranz accompanies tradition and modernity of the cider culture in the Kelterei Heil already since 2005 – in organic quality! Fichtekranz consists of over 90 % apples from Hessian meadows, such as Winterrambour, Schafsnase, Bohnapfel or Kaiser Wilhelm. The mixture of the different apple varieties provides the typical tangy, tart taste. The fruity sweetness of low-acid apples from South Tyrol rounds off the whole and gives Fichtekranz a mild taste.
CEO of Kelterei Heil
According to Martin Heil, CEO of Kelterei Heil, they are currently exporting to Japan, China, Australia, Russia, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Their export activities started in 2010 and looking forward to expanding in the coming years.
To know more about Kelterei Heil, you may visit their website by clicking here.
