From November 12 - 13, 2024, researchers from the Institute of Horticulture participated in a meeting of the project “Knowledge-Based Baltic Cider Production and Branding for SME Growth and Competitiveness” (Baltic Cider) held in Polli, Estonia. Together with project partners from the Latvian Rural Tourism Association “Lauku ceļotājs”, the Estonian Rural Tourism Association, the Estonian University of Life Sciences (Polli), and regional cider producers, participants reviewed the project's initial results and discussed cider-making practices, the development of a Terroir map, and ways to promote entrepreneurship.

Terroir (a French term) refers to the unique natural characteristics of land and climate that interact to create specific growing conditions, which in turn influence the distinctive qualities of ciders produced in a given area. The map’s development takes into account key factors such as climate, soil, topography (geography), and human influence - the grower and the cider maker.

Researchers from the Institute are engaged in activities to characterize both the raw materials used in cider production - apple cultivars - and the apple juice and finished cider itself, with the goal of determining how various factors affect the final product’s flavor profile.

During the meeting, participants were introduced to preliminary results from soil studies and juice analysis of different apple cultivars, including potential correlations between them. For the entrepreneurs involved in the project, the Polli scientists organized an educational event, which included a guided cider tasting session based on developed sensory analysis methods. This was followed by in-depth discussions about the highly diverse fermentation processes used in cider production, including an on-site visit to Tori Cider. The producer, Karmo Haas, and his family own an apple orchard with a range of cultivars that serve as the main raw material for their cider production.

The meeting concluded with discussions on upcoming tasks and target results for the next project period, as well as the decision to hold the next seminar in Latvia.

The project is implemented under the INTERREG Estonia–Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021 –2027, Priority 2: "Businesses Growing Together and Smarter."