Giraudo Il Biondo
Il Biondo is a refreshing, lively semi-sweet sparkling cider made by Fratelli Giraudo in Piedmont, Italy. Made with a blend of mysterious apples from Cuneo, this cider is the perfect drink to open on a mid-week night when you need to unwind after an intense day of work (which is exactly the scenario in which I tasted it.
Il Biondo at glance
- Region: Piemonte, Italy
- Alcohol: 4.5%
- Style: semi sweet, sparkling
- Vintage: n/a
- Apple varieties: blend of apples from Cuneo in Piemonte region, Italy
Cider flavour profile
- See: bright hay, transparent with strong signs of carbonation
- Smell: clean and fruity, with strong notes of apple juice, and light floral hints
- Taste: sparkling, semi sweet, medium tannins, medium acidity and medium low body; very fruity primary notes, apple juice and poached
Tasting Notes on Il Biondo by Giraudo
Refreshing, easy to drink and surprising. These are the top three adjectives that came to mind sipping Il Biondo. I adore the makers’ description and just like the label says it really does demand to be relentlessly drunk.
This extremely vibrant and juicy cider is a very enticing blend of many apples of which the producer reveals very little. Fratelli Giraudo is a family-owned agricultural company that has been producing fruit for more than four decades in the province of Cuneo, one of Italy’s most renowned apple growing areas.
My assumption here is that Il Biondo is a mix of available apples in Giraudo’s orchard, predominantly made of culinary and table apples, wonderfully blended and fermented, to create a delightful juicy and irresistible semi sweet sparkling cider.
Particularly clever is the approach that Fratelli Giraudo has taken in their marketing for this cider–leaning in the mystery around the apple blend and their provenance and turning that into an intriguing feature. It is so enjoyable that you want to know more about how it is made, but… no, Il Biondo is not the talkative type and keeps its secrets guarded…
Notes from the producers
Original language (Italian): “Un drink che si mostra subito buono e riservato, ma che una volta assaggiato rivela il suo lato brutto e sfacciato: pretende di essere incessantemente bevuto. Come il cattivo delle storie che però si fa apprezzare per la sua autenticità: il deciso sapore di mela fresca e la naturale dolcezza, frutto di una lenta fermentazione. E vorresti sapere tutto di lui, ma non ha nemmeno un nome. Tutti lo conoscono come IL BIONDO.“
English: “A drink that immediately shows itself to be good and reserved, but once tasted reveals its ugly and brash side: it demands to be relentlessly drunk. Like the villain in the stories, though, it is appreciated for its authenticity: the distinct fresh apple flavor and natural sweetness, the result of slow fermentation. And you’d like to know everything about him, but he doesn’t even have a name. Everyone knows him as THE BLOND”
Food pairing
With such a refreshing, light and juicy flavour profile, Il Biondo is a cider to sip before dinner, perhaps at Aperitivo time, with a few light snacks, especially things like taralli and grissini. Its mild sweetness makes it also a nice companion of light desserts, such as fruit frozen yoghurt or a raspberry sorbet.
