Cyprien Lireux
At age twenty-four, Cyprien Lireux had completed business school but longed to return to the land, working the orchards as he had as a child with his father and grandfather. Under the tutelage of Etienne Fournet at Domaine des Cinq Autels, Cyprien learned and honed his craft before starting his adventure in cider in Normandy, on the border between Pays d’Aige and the Pays d’Houlme. When he began (three years ago), Cyprien owned only his grandfather’s orchard plot but knew of other traditional, abandoned orchards in the area, which he now brings back to life, safeguarding the local varieties and living heritage.
The Pays d’Auge in Normandy straddles the départements of Calvados and Orne and is known for agriculture - specifically apples and dairy. Famous cheeses of the region include Camembert, Livarot, and Pont-l’Évêque, all names of local villages. Pays d’Auge has been granted appellation contrôlée status for its cider and calvados
