Poiré de Picardie

Like cider, Picard poiré suffered a sharp decline in the 20th century. At the start of the century, heavy consumption of these beverages by farm labourers during peak field work prompted producers to abandon lower-yielding local varieties in favour of fruit brought in from Bretagne or Normandie. After the two World Wars, rural depopulation, the mechanisation of arable farming and subsidies for grubbing up fruit trees further accelerated this decline: cider and poiré production became increasingly scarce in Picardie. Only more recently has the sector regained a more prominent standing, buoyed by new production techniques and promotional efforts by the Chambres d'Agriculture and local stakeholders.

The production of poiré in France remains extremely limited: suitable perry pear trees — specific varieties distinct from dessert pears — are rare. Today, Picardie encompasses several areas where cider and poiré are made: the Thiérache, the Vimeu and the Ponthieu. In the Amiénois, the Cidrerie de la Garenne in Saint-Gratien (Somme) also crafts a poiré alongside its cider. Outside Picardie, poiré is produced in France only in the Norman Bas-Domfrontais, whose climate and soil are likewise suited to this demanding crop. The perry pear varieties grown in Picardie bear local names rarely found elsewhere — la Branche, la Fossey, la Planc de blanc, la De Cloche, la Longuet, la Gaubert, la Rouge Vigné and la Williams — and while cider makers often produce poiré as well, the reverse is less common.