Maison Herout

Normandy is par excellence a land of apples and cider. Established since 1946 in Auvers in the Manche department, Maison Hérout is no exception to the rule. For many generations, the transformation of apples into cider and Calvados has been cultural, rooted in the Cotentin region! The Cotentin peninsula, where Maison Hérout is located, produces some of the driest and most complex ciders made anywhere in France. Cotentin dry or extra-dry cider is a natural accompaniment to seafood, which is so abundant here because you are never far from the sea. Here on the Cotentin peninsula you are surrounded by endless bluffs and white sand beaches,  plentiful oyster and mussel farms,  lush apple orchards and the beautiful bocage – a system of hedgerows that defines the inland landscape as far as you can see and discreetly conceals old castles and chateaus from curious passers-by.

The Hérout family tree goes back to the Vikings, who settled in this area around the ninth and tenth centuries.  In fact many of the village names in the Cotentin still bear the Norse roots from these original Viking inhabitants, beautiful villages like Briquebec, and Quettetot.

The Cotentin was also home to Louis XIV’s summer court, located in the charming town of Valognes.  When Versailles became unbearably hot in the summertime, Louis XIV would move his entire court to beautiful Valognes townhouses to relax in the cooler, more subdued atmosphere of the Cotentin bocages.