Cider Chat

Find the show notes and photos at this link Lost Apples of the Quabbin is a presentation by Al Sax and Matt Kaminsky documenting their 2016 research and quest for mapping out the apple trees in this historical reservoir region. The Quabbin Reservoir was created to supply water to eastern Massachusetts. This construction required moving out the residents and unincorporating 4 towns Dana, Prescott, Enfiled, and Greenwich. Needless to say, this was an extreme hardship for the residents as people, homes and the entire landscape was changed to create the massive reservoir. How big is the Quabbin Reservoir? unlike what I said in the podcast (10,000 acres) it is 120,000 acres Al and Matt are looking for unknown apple varieties that might still be left on the hillsides and mountain tops that were left untouched so many years later. Al and Matt's main research tools" Binoculars Tick gators, as ticks carry an auto immune ideas call Lyme An apple picker, which is a long pole with a cup at the end used to reach for fr

Jeppe Gents opened Fejø Cider in 1999. He calls himself a "cider farmer" having founded his cidery on an island 200 kilometers south of Copenhagen. You can take a 15-minute ride on a ferry to the island and visit this celebrated cidery. Fejø is an orchard based cidery with 18 hectares or approximately 44 acres of bitter, bittersweet, culinary apples. With nearly 20 years of cidermaking knowledge Fejø cidery is established well enough that it is now Jeppe's full time work. The cidery has won numerous awards and is currently exporting  60% of its products to such markets as Sweden, Germany, and now the US via the Shelton Brothers Importers. The first two pallets of cider were shipped to the Shelton Brothers in November 2016. They were ordered for Claus Meyer, the Danish gastro-entrepreneur. Meyer opened the Agern restaurant plus The Great Northern Food Hall in New York Grand Central Terminal. The Agern restaurant has got its first Michelin star now only one year after its opening, and the Food Hall has 3500 dai

Mattie Beason’s passion for cider led him to open Black Twig Cider House in 2016. This new cider bar is located in Durham, North Carolina right across the street from Duke University. A good location is a key factor as you need the foot traffic to help build the draw that you need to be successful. Mattie should know, as he had just finished presenting Why you should open a cider bar and not a cidery at CiderCon 2017 in Chicago. In this chat we discuss the offerings at Black Twig Cider House, a txotx (pronounced “Chotch”) which is a pour of Sidra from a barrel and some fine tips for anyone considering opening their own cider bar. From Spanish ciders to all cider traditions - Mattie found it was the right choice to open a cider bar and not cidery. Black Twig is 2400 square feet and has seating for up 90 people. Make sure to look at the event page on their website as there are lots of ongoing educational and fun events taking place every month. Or consider reserving this venue for your own special party as ther

Araújo Monte, Lda is Portugal's first commercial cidery for the country that borders Spain and its million of Sidra drinking fans. Marlene Sofia Sousa Araújo whom I speak to in this chat, with the help of Anzu Fernandez as translator, was trained to be a scientist. When she and Patrícia Araújo Monte entered into a contest for entrepreneurs and decided to look at making cider as part of this project, they had no idea that they would win. With the winnings they received basic infrastructure to help launch the cidery along with help for specialist such as enologist (winemakers). Today the cidery has three partners, Marlene,  Patrícia and Pedro Miguel Bravo de Faria Marlene has been making cider since 2011. She received her degree in Biotechnology at Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo [IPVC] thinking she was headed for a career in science. So suffice to say, she didn't plan on becoming a cidermaker. Araújo Monte, Lda is a costal cidery. They are currently using all sorts of apples and are trying to disting

This week's cider podcast episode is a mini recap of Chicago Cider Week events, CiderCon, and 20 chats w/Cider Enthusiasts including recordings from the The Northman on February 7, 2017. 20 chats! Dang that was amazing. I hope you enjoy going deep into Ciderville like I do. Go to this page to see the ciderchat.com show notes page with photos Ask for the following 6 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville. Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35 Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14 Oliver’s Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29 Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60 The Cider Project - California Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56   Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. List

Cider Chat will be at the Chicago Cider Summit February 11, 2017 Llorenç Frigola of Mooma cidery, in the Catalonia province of Girona is an Agricultural Engineer by trade who works with a fruit cooperative that has been growing apples for the past 50 years. The cidery started in 2013. This area of Spain, unlike Asturias, the Basque region, or Cantabria has had no production of cider at all. Mooma looked to providing a value added product to their market. Their goal is to meet the local market that leans towards Champagne and Cava wine (a Catalonia wine made in the champenoise traditional method). Mooma, stores apples and presses throughout the year. The cider is fermented then micro filtered and the flagship cider and some sugar is added. It is bottled in both 12 ounce bottles and boxed cider as one would find in the UK. Mooma grew out of the desire to provide value added product to the cooperative's current offerings as Llorenç says, "Our goal is to show to the Cantalan people all that is possible with apple

Cider Chat at The Northman (Chicago Cider Bar) February 7, 2017 at 4:30pm Stop on by and let's chat! I have a list of fun cider topics to chat with you for an upcoming podcast.  Cider Chat at Chicago Cider Summit February 11, 2017 Look for the Cider Chat table where I will be recording mini chats with attendees and offering Cider Chat baseball caps. Luis Ravina Pisaca's title is enology or enologist, which means he is responsible for the cidermaking at Posma cidery in Tenerife, one of seven islands in the Canary Islands that are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa. Posma has been producing cider for 4-5 years. Luis was attending the International Hall of Gala Ciders in Gijon, Asturias in September 2016. We recorded this chat on the steps outside that all day cider fest. Posma makes a Sidra Natural which is actually a Brut.  Though named Sidra Natural don't expect the typical acetic taste that one might find in the many delicious Asturian Sidras. Posma produced 4000 bottles of th

February 7, 2017 at 4:30pm Cider Chat at The Northman    recording chats with patrons on Cider Stories! Brian Rutzen is the Cider Director at Chicago’s first cider bar, The Northman managing 20 taps of cider, 5 craft beers and in total over a 100 options of cider to partake at this 63 seat bar. We chat how The Northman helps patrons understand cider, how it is poured, cellaring cider, cider with food, and lots of tips for attendees heading to the windy city for CiderCon (the annual cider conference for members of the United States Association of Cider Makers). Chicago is a city of neighborhoods - with many of the names reflecting the immigrant groups that settled there. Pilsen for instance got its name from the Czech immigrants and is now housing many Mexican immigrants. Brian says “Chicago is setup as a grid.” Making it fairly easy to get about Go to this page to see the ciderchat.com show notes page with photos  O'Hare Airport apple history What does the airport code ORD stand for at this mighty Chicago hub

Bartosz Gałka is one of three partner at the Polish cidery "Slow Flow Group".  Along with Łukasz Sobór, Jakub Lorek and Jakub's father,Marcin Lorek, who makes wine and consults to this project  they are helping to put Polish cider on the world map. The cidermaking tradition in Poland dates back to the 16th century, but is only recently gearing up once again.. Slow Flow Group has been making cider since 2011 and marketing it since 2014. It took 2 years to get permitted to sell cider in Poland. I met up with Bartosz in Asturias, Spain in September of 2016 while we were both attending the International Hall of Gala Ciders. Slow Flow Group is using apples from local orchards, with most of the trees being 70-80 years old. There is no sugar nor sulfites added to this company's ciders. The primary Apples used by Slow Flow Group: Grochówka Kronselka Szara - Złota Reneta starking Pepina Malinówka Pinowa Antonówka They press apples using a Hydraulic press called "Big Mama" which is a basket press Polish terms in cide

Alvar Roosimaa turned towards cidermaking after deciding to move out of the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. He bought a country house approximately an hour and a half to the south Tallinn with his wife Veronika. It was at this country house that the name of the cidery was found. Alvar tells the story of finding a copper tube, which is a typical container used by Estonians for holding documents, in a rubbish pile onsite. Inside this tube the original deed of the house was placed along with a colored map of the property. The farm's name was Jannihanso! When you look at the label, you will see that the name "JanniHanso" is using the original old world German handwriting for the name The Jaanihanso cidery started commercial actives in 2013. In 2016, this Estonian cidery began working towards exporting. This past year (2016) they pressed enough apples to have 60,000 litters (15,850 gallons) of apple juice. Cider Tradition in Estonia? Cider is very traditional. Locals call it "apple wine". Every house has a small cru

Anzu Fernández has been selected as Cider Chat’s pick for the Sexiest Cider Dude of 2017! This title is not given freely nor is it due to the fact that Asturias happens to have some of the biggest cider cojones around. I mean geez Louise! Roman historian Esteban said sometime back in 60 BC about Asturias "They scarcely have wine, but they drink a lot of cider.” I’m thinking that this American might think twice about bragging next time about the big, whoop fact that President John Adams drank cider 200 years ago. Anzu is the International Delegate for Asturian XXI Foundation, speaks 15 languages, works for La Sidra, and is a medical doctor who is in residency to become a neurosurgeon. His resume is impressive, but what really inspired this podcaster is his Cider Bold. He is both knowledgeable and has a keen ability to speak with grace and conviction on cider not only in Asturias but in the rest of the world and that is not only intriguing it is exactly what cider needs right now in 2017! His unabashed view tha

See all the videos of the Musée du Poiré by visiting the Cider Chat YouTube Channel The Maison de la Pomme et Poire (House of apple and Pear) was created in 1983 in Barenton by the Normandy-Maine Regional Nature Park. In June 25, 2016 it reopened, after a bit of new construction, as the Musée du Poiré. In this chat we discuss the Route du Poiré which can be followed along in this region of Normandy and trying to find the Musée du Poiré. This adventure began when The Nose and I having only one day left in France, after our chat with Eric Bordelet, decided to head in the opposite direction of where we needed to go, so that we could visit the museum on all things Perry or Poiré, as it is said in French. The museum has ample parking and is Free and open from April 1st  to October 15th - Do double check as these dates might change. It is closed on May 1st Set up a guided tour for the minimal fee of 2.50 (euros) The museum breaks down the historical path of apples and pears. The information plaques along the acces

Scrumping, gluten intolerance and the ingenuity of two sisters helped launched Santa Cruz Cider Company in 2010 and licensed in 2013. Scrumping: Taking apples from a forgotten orchard and one that is owned by someone else. When Nicole Todd and sister Natalie Henze found a forgotten orchard loaded with apples, they decided to go scrumping. That orchard is now owned by a friend and since then they have been offered to use an even larger family orchard dating back to 1880! The apples trees from both orchards are at least 100 years old and you can taste the terroir. The sisters and family hand pick all the apples and press using a Bladder Press. Nicole and I did a vertical tasting of the Barrel Aged Gravenstein Cider. We discuss the use of champagne yeast and the competition that took place in the barrel between the champagne yeast that was pitched and the wild yeast culture that was already in the bottle. What's an Apple Pretzel? Taking a shoot/sucker on an apple tree and wrapping it around in a pretzel shape wh

Cider Books for Holiday Gift Giving w/ Real Cider Reviews Hugh McKellar of Real Cider Reviews chimes in on cider book recommendations for this holiday season. Hugh calls this chat "The Christmas Book List Podcast" while I am sticking with "Cider Books for Holiday Gift Giving". Hugh and I chat about the follow Cider Books 1.World's Best Ciders by Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw. 2.Dorset Cider with An Excursion To The New Forest, Alan Stone 3. Empire of Booze by Henry Jeffreys. This book talks about how the history of alcohol and the British empire go hand in hand. The first chapter talks about how British bottle technology led to fizzy cider and later champagne. 3.Craft Cider Making by Andrew Lee Go to the ciderchat.com/resource page to find all these books and more for yourself and holiday gift giving. Read all of Hugh's reviews and stay in touch via any and all of the links posted Contact Hugh McKellar Website: http://www.realciderreviews.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realciderreviews/ Follow Hugh on

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! We begin this chat with Eric Bordelet in the Pear Orchard…He lead us into a large green field with low grass. We look out in the distance and see 35 foot high trees ahead. The trees are laden with fruit. The background music is the sound of pears dropping to the ground.   This is Part 2 of a two part chat with Eric. Listen to Part 1 here. There is a skip in his step as he walks towards the each  giant of a tree, picking up fallen pears as he goes along to hold for a moment and feel it stage of ripening. The girth of some of the largest pear trees are much too wide for me to circle with only two arms. If a knight in full armor came riding into the field on his way to Paris,  I would not have been surprised. It is as if we drank the tea and fell into the rabbit hole rolling back time. Soon Eric is pointing out the grafts on some of the oldest trees and my sense of normal is thrown even further  off balance. Unlike the 200 year old

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Eric Bordelet is both the maker and the brand at Chateau de Hauteville in the southern edge of Normandy in the village of Châtaigne. The fact that he exports 80% of his ciders to markets around the world at a premium price worthy of a fine wine is just one of the reasons that the brand Eric Bordelet is so highly sought after by both wine and cider enthusiasts. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part chat. Part 2 will follow as episode 058. During this chat The Nose and I are having lunch with Eric at the Hôtel Gayot in the lovely and lively village Bagnoles de l'Orne. You will find Eric’s cider on tap at this hotels restaurant - though it might not say anything other than “cider” it is indeed Bordelet!  There is also a shop where you can buy many of Eric’s cider’s and poires (perry) and calvados. Listen to the background sounds of lunch time at as we discuss his path towards cider, beginning when he worked as a waiter, then a sommelier. Pa

Please Help Support Cider Chat donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Chuck Shelton of Albemarle Ciderworks & Vintage Virginia Apples weighs in on blending and single apple variety ciders and the complexity of cidermaking.   This Virginia cidery is a family run business on a farm that was purchased by the Shelton Family. Today the business side of the cidery is managed by his sister Charlotte, while Chuck overseas the cider. Their brother  Bill is the Nursery Manager and Bill’s daughter Anne Shelton is the General Manager. This is a142 acre farm with a 12 acre orchard, where they grow over 250 varieties! The soil is red clay or what Chuck calls a “rocky. red clay”. The Sheltons tend to apple tree for the cidery and also sell trees. Their friendship with Virginian Tom Buford, has been fruitful for the family not only because he is consider now part of the family, but due to his extensive knowledge of Apples. Tom is the author of Apple of North American: Exceptional Varieties for Growers, Gardeners and

Apple songs and sing-a-longs helps put a rhythm to the work day and marks Wassail celebrations around the world. This week's chat we begin with a fun Apple Song led by David Gott, who has worked as a pruner and maker of fresh pressed Sweet Cider. David's banjo style and ability to lead a group in a sing-a-long is reminiscent of the late and legendary singer/songwriter Pete Seeger. The beginning of this chat, which by the way I recorded while sitting on the floor at my AirBnB while away from home for work, I chat on the basics of 'racking cider over' once the initial fermentation is done. Tips for racking cider. Sanitize all your racking equipment, the outside of the carboy and inside the new carboy (5 or 3 gallon glass vessel). Use food grade tubing, Use a clothes pin to hold the food grade clear tubing at the mouth of the carboy so it doesn't slide down to the bottom and suck up all the "smutch" on the bottom. Leave that behind and pour off into a mason jar once done, then place the jar into your refrigerat

Mike Schilling delves into the joy of letting a cider go wild, stopping fermentation, double pitching yeast and funky/sour cider. This chat was recorded before a live audience at Beerology in Northampton Massachusetts on Friday November 4, 2016. Mike and his wife Jordana Starr who co-own the store invited cidermakers traveling to CiderDays to stop in pick up supplies. It is an easy on off location just a block shy of the hub and bub of downtown Northampton. Note that there is ample parking behind the storefront. In this chat we discuss: Wild yeast Double pitching yeast Fermentation temperatures Making cider in an apartment vs in a cellar Contact info for Mike Schilling Beerology - website Address: 342 Pleasant Street, #1 Northampton, Massachusetts Telephone: 413 - 829-2337 email: info@beerology.beer FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/beerologynoho/ Twitter: @BeerologyNoho  Mentions in this chat "Funky Lama", a nano brewery in Normandy France is making beer with cider from Manoir d'Apreval in Normandy - Th

Michelle McGrath is the Executive Director of the United States Association of Cider Makers, a trade association for the cider industry. In this episode she chats on the mission of the USACM, the goals for the year, the upcoming Cider Conference (CiderCon) and the Pick Cider initiative for Thanksgiving. The four core mandates of the Association Advance cider in the market Increase opportunities for peer learning Promoting a cider friendly regulatory environment Supporting the cider apple growers   The USACM has over 1300 members. 95% of cidery members are making less than 500,000 gallons/year Membership in the USACM is tiered. For instances, The Cidery In Planning is $175. And there is even a tier level for "Home Cidermaker/Enthusiast" - $75.00 (USD) Find out more info at http://www.ciderassociation.org/join Michelle provided an overview of the Cider Act that comes into effect in 2017 It will increase the allowable carbonation in cider Increase the allowable alcohol content from 7% to 8.5% Perry will now f