It seems that New Zealand apples are wanted in Australia after all.
Hot on the heels of a 90-year ban on imports of our apples being lifted last year, retail giant Woolworth's has come to New Zealand for its own label of cider.
The first shipment of Saxton apple and pear ciders was sent across the Tasman last month by the resurrected McCashin Brewery, near Nelson.
The range will be introduced to Woollies (now rebranding as Countdown) here next month.
McCashin is based in the old Rochdale cider factory. Terry McCashin bought the company and plant in 1981 and, while continuing the label, concentrated on his new Mac's beer label.
He sold the Mac's label in 1999 and leased the brewery a year later to Lion Breweries.
His son Dean and wife, Emma, subsequently took over the plant and started producing vodka and Frute (apple cider flavoured with berry or orange juice) a couple of years ago, then beer under the Stoke label.
None of its ciders contain preservatives, unlike many other ciders on the market.
The Rochdale label, which began life in the 1930s, has been resurrected and is reminiscent of the old stuff.
A more modern approach is used, however, with yeast to start fermentation instead of the old way of adding sugar to apple skins, which contained natural yeast.
It is 5% and what I would call "dry" and has an appealing aroma that reminds me of Christmas mince tarts.
(The Rochdale label says its cider is gluten-free. However, virtually all apple and pear ciders are gluten-free. The only exceptions are hard ciders, which contain some barley. Gluten, to which some people are intolerant, is a product of fermented grain - in bread and beer, for example. Fresh fruit and most beverages - wine, soft drink, fruit juice, brandy - are gluten-free.)
The Saxton (named after an orchard that used to border the factory) apple cider (5%) is slightly sweeter, while the pear cider is crisp, dry and has subtle pear flavour.
The trio are not overly effervescent - more crackling than sparkling - and are relatively light in flavour. They therefore suit lunchtime refreshment and summer lunches.
At the other end of the South Island, Invercargill Brewery produced Nally's Cider, which is fresh and dry, from braeburn and granny smith varieties from Ettrick. The cider started life as a 7% beverage in 1999, but is now 5%.
Every now and again, however, the brewery gathers or is given a range of old-fashioned varieties from around Southland for a more potent 7.5% Heritage cider. Its last pressing in 2009 was aged and released a couple of months ago.
Woollies' move into cider continues a surge in cider labels as breweries in particular use the beverage to counter stagnant, even falling, beer consumption.
Cider has a small share of the alcoholic beverage market (about 0.6 litre per capita a year compared with about 75 litres for beer and a growing 21 litres for wine), but is expected to continue to grow rapidly to reach 2 litres per capita by 2014.
