Le cidre, d’une logique de l’offre vers une démarche marketing de la demande.

Better understanding consumers' expectations as regards ciders and building on the latest contributions of research are essential in order to meet expectations. This project was carried out from 2008 to 2011 under the lead of the Chambre régionale d’agriculture de Normandie. This work involved various partners among which IFPC, ESA Angers, INRA (Centre des sciences du goût et de l'alimentation and Unité de recherche cidricole), Laboratoire Frank Duncombe, ADRIA-Normandie and technicians from the cider industry. Results of this study (consumer panel and organoleptic preference mapping) have highlighted different cider consumer profiles. . It has also been demonstrated that sweet, fruity ciders with low bitterness and low astringency are preferred by a large majority of consumers. The recent research works conducted by the UMT Novacidre (a mixed unit formed by IFPC and INRA Unité de recherche cidricole de l’INRA du Rheu), have led to propose a range of management tools for cider-making in order to modulate the sensory profile of ciders. These tools, prospective or already existing, are efficient in terms of impact on the finished produce, both in the aromatic field with an increase of fruitiness and in terms of flavors, as they allow, for example, reduction of astringency, often rejected by consumers, without changing perception of bitterness which contributes to the produce structure.