Crème de Cerise - hitting the right notes

Fiona Taylor, of Christopher Piper Wines, discuss the merits of fruity Crèmes.

Over the summer months we notice that the number of people visiting relations or friends who pop in to buy something en route starts to increase.

While some are just looking for wine, there are those looking for inspiration in other areas and whilst gin and vodka are extremely popular, we love directing people towards our fruity Crèmes.

Most will have heard of Crème de Cassis, it’s a classic found on most French supermarket shelves and its blackcurrant sweetness is delicious over ice on a hot summers day. However the one we like to point out most of all is the Crème de Cerise, from Jean-Baptiste Joannet.

This lovely cherry liqueur has a deep blushing colour and a rich, ripe luscious perfume. Totally moreish and delicious, it hits all the perfect notes and is always, without exception, delightfully received as a present.

Initially Jean-Baptiste Joannet was a fruit producer in Arcenant, essentially cultivating raspberries, but also strawberries, cherries and black currants. He harvested his fruit and sold it to industry to make liqueur, jam, perfume and extracts …

In the 1970s, however, he found it more and more difficult to sell his products due to fierce competition from the Eastern European countries whose products could be bought at lower prices. Unfortunately, in 1976, a drought destroyed a lot of his fruit fields. Convinced of his fruit’s superiority and excellent quality in front of other growers, Jean-Baptiste did not want to stop production, so he decided to replant his fields. He wanted to market his fruit in a different way. There were several possibilities open to him, and after some attempts, his choice fell on the production of liqueurs and jam. Driven by this courage and boldness, Jean-Baptiste became the first maker of these fruit products in the region. He was no longer now just a farmer but had also become a ‘liquoriste’ selling liqueurs made from his own fruit.

CPW stock three other Joannet liqueurs – blackcurrant, cherry, strawberry. Either have them over ice or splash them into Prosecco, Cava, Sparkling Wine or Champagne for a deliciously red-berry perfumed aperitif, perfect for a hot summer’s day.