Cider Chat

Randall Grahm has been rocking the world of winemaking for over 30 years. He began commercially selling wine under the Bonny Doon Vineyard label in 1983 when he opened the winery's tasting room in the hills north of Santa Cruz, California in the village of Boony Doon. He authored Been Doon So Long : A Randall Grahm Vinthology (2012), and has the title and responsibilities of being President for life of Bonny Doon Vineyard. [caption id="attachment_343" align="alignnone" width="250"] Randall Grahm[/caption] Randall's accomplishments in the world of wine are as unique as the man himself. •    Aptly titled the Rhone Ranger of California for his work with Rhone varietals. •    Pioneered the use of screw on caps on premium wines. Read the most recent list of his accolades. While I have long enjoyed Bonny Doon wines, I was in Santa Cruz to chat with Randall about Bonny Doon cider •    2013 Querry - 750ml is made with pear, apple and quince •    Winter Nélis Sparkling Perry Listen to this episode and Cider Chat with

Wooden barrels are so 2014. What is old is new again as Castle Hill Cider has brought to the states an ancient fermenting vessel that was used for over 7000 years. Qvevri or Kvevri as it is called on this Virginia estate is best known to winemakers in the Georgia Republic. [caption id="attachment_308" align="alignnone" width="178"] Kvevri upon arrival from Georgia Republic[/caption] Where is the Georgia Republic? It is in Europe and lies to the south of Russia and to the north of Turkey.The Georgia Republic has a sprawling cave monastery from the 12th century called Vardzia and a wine growing region of Kakheti. Find out more about Georgia's Qvevri traditional winemaking. In this episode I chat with Cellar Master Geoff Robinson of Castle Hill Cider. Stuart Madany is the Cidermaker at Castle Hill Cider. [caption id="attachment_310" align="alignnone" width="300"] l to r - Geoff Robinson and Stuart Madany[/caption] Castle Hill Cider imported 9 kvevris, with only one breaking in transit. Kvevri range in size from

Utrecht cider importer Margot Sanderse brings in ciders from the UK and Wales via her mobile bar and online shop Het Ciderhuis. She is an entrepreneur who is touting cider to the Dutch and slowly helping transform their palate. [caption id="attachment_45" align="alignnone" width="300"] Margot Sanderse | Het Ciderhuis[/caption] Utrecht is between 30-40 minutes from Amsterdam, and is a bustling arts city. Bars that serve cider mentioned by Margot Cafe de Zaak Cafe de Rat The Hague aka Den Haag Den Haag is best known for its International Court of Justice, and because of the presence of so many international embassies, it is a hot spot for food and drinks. Margot recommended in The Hague the following 2 bars serving cider. Fiddler Cafe de Paas Find Het Ciderhuis via Facebook on Twitter @HetCiderhuis Find out more about Beer Cider [caption id="attachment_46" align="alignnone" width="300"] Leonard Koningswik cidermaker of Beer Cider[/caption]   CIDER Act passed December 18, 2015 Cider Investment and Develo

Angry Orchard is the #1 cider brand in the US and there is a very good reason why it holds this coveted place. Undoubtedly, being a subsidiary of Boston Beer Company means connections to Jim Koch’s brewery empire a.k.a. Samuel Adams Boston Lager. But to think that Angry Orchard is merely tapping into the US cider mania would be short sighted.  Boston Beer Co. has been researching cider since the early 2000s with the help of Alan Tringham, a retired cidermaker from the European brand known as Bulmers. I had the opportunity to meet Grant Wood from Boston Beer Co. who was working with Tringham at the time to “create the perfect cider for the American public”. They both stopped by my cidermaking workshop at CiderDays back in 2004. Hoo wee! Imagine presenting cidermaking to the likes of the now late Alan Tringham.  Anyhoo…the first cider brand for Boston Beer Co. was known as Hard Core. That brand was shelved, and a few moments later we were seeing Angry Orchard commercials during the Super Bowl! Bingo! The new br

I had the pleasure of interviewing four guys from Quebec who are passionate about cidermaking. Quebec is a french speaking province so were quite kind in helping each other and helping me understand what they are making at Les Vergers de la Colline. I know you will enjoy this Cider Chat! Les Vergers de la Colline opened in 2003. The team is headed by Marc -Antoine Lasnier, whose family owns this Quebec cidery. Marc's family has been growing apples since 1926. They made cider during the Canada's prohibition and it should be noted that in 1920 beer, wine, beer and all alcohol was legal. Only cider was prohibited. Not until the early 1970's did cider become legal. You can listen to the story behind the prohibition of cider as Marc tells it. Les Vergers de la Colline produces ciders that range all the way up to 11%. Below is a photo of the ice cider that we drank during this chat and discussed. Ice Cider really helped the current quality ciders coming out of Quebec. During the chat, the cidermakers say

David and son Robert have spearheaded an organically certified cidery right in the heart of the wine country in California. Sonoma Cider is located in Healdsburg California, a bit east and north of San Francisco in the a region well known to wine connoisseurs. David was a commercial winemaker for 20 years and the first commercial cidermaker in California back in 1992.  He and Robert opened Sonoma Cider in 2013. Says David, "We are making cider for the Millennials." But don't read to deeply into that statement because Sonoma Cider is a delicious cider for all generations and new cider drinkers will be impressed by their range of offerings. In this chat David discusses: Cider nomenclature and how it impacts consumer education US Cider Makers Association  Cider Con Cider Act Cidermaker or Cidermaster The Cider Certification Program Sonoma Cider's Cider Club And Sonoma Cider's love of good comedy...I asked David for a good cider joke and am still waiting....If you have one, please send it to ria@ci

Paul Zocco, of Zok’s Homebrewing and Winemaking, is a 12 time winner of the title “New England Cidermaker of the Year” and he is discussing  cider recipes and trends in this episode. Paul Zocco, New England Cidermaker of the Year with Ria Paul has been running Zok’s Homebrewing and Winemaking Shop for the past 16 years. Over that time he has seen a growth of the homebrew shift from beer to cider grow exponentially. In this episode, Paul chats... Pasteurized versus not pasteurized apple juice How to choose sweet cider from a cider mill ...Go to the cider mill and buy a pint of the fress pressed juice. Go out to the parking lot and try it. If it is good, go back and make a deal to buy 5 gallons. It is simple as that. What does Paul uses to chop up his apples? Answer: A machete Paul chats about Angry Orchard, Woodchuck and their sweet ciders…and the benefit for new drinkers of cider. Listen to Paul describe how to make classic New England Cider: Key additives: Brown Sugar and Raisins Links or Cidermaker's m

President John Adams chats cider & podcasting! Cider Chat MC Ria chats with the 2nd US President John Adams about cider and podcasting - via this mini promo/spoof for "Thanks, Podcasting".  Welcome to “Thanks, Podcasting!” where you’ll get to hear stories of inspiration, transformation and impact because of podcasting. My name is Ria Windcaller from Cider Chat over at CiderChat.com Listen to the Bubbling Carboys in the background That bubbling in the background is the sound of sweet, fresh pressed apple juice transforming into qualfable cider or what some folks in the US call hard cider. It is a fact of US history and World history that cider has been both an inspirational drink that has transformed the lives of many.  John Adams who was both a founding Father and became the 2nd president of the United State and who worked with Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence was known to have a pint of cider every single day. And, I am sure if John Adams was joining me on this special edition of “Tha

On a very cidery night of ‘Meet the Cidermakers’ during the 21st Annual Franklin County CiderDays ... Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider and Wandering Aengus in Oregon and Dave White, Whitewood Cider in Washington sat back for a chat about west coast ciders and the cider trend in the US Nick Gunn has been in the cider business for eleven years working two labels: Anthem Cider and Wandering Anegus. He is married to Mimi Casteel the winemaker and member of the founding family at Bethel Heights Vineyard. Says Nick, “Winemaking is basically same thing as cidermaking. We are making a tank fermented chardonnay more or less but are using apples instead of grapes.” Dave White started the cider blog Old Time Cider Blog years ago, but knew he was always destine to make his own cider commercially. He launched Whitewood Cider Company, in Olympia Washington in 2012. Dave describes Whitewood as a nano cidery. l to r, Dave White of Whitewood Cider Co. Olympia Oregon and Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider & Wandering Aengus Salem Orego

Robert Colnes, of New Salem Preserves wanted to build a ciderhouse for the farm's bountiful orchard. Little did he know when he started that he was on journey that would take him two years to complete. New Sale Preserves is situated on the edge of the Quabbin Reservoir, which provides drinking water for the city of Boston. Robert tells his tale of what it took to jump through the federal, state and local hoops to build the ciderhouse. Carol B. Hillman the owner of New Salem Preserves wanted to maintain the aesthetic of the old New England homestead. By the way, Carol is an author and her recent book Sense of Place is a photographic book of the farm and show's her warmth and connection to the place. She also has an amazing cookbook for Garlic lovers.  Contact Carol directly, if you are interested in either books, via the link to New Salem Preserves. I hope you enjoy this special tale as Robert and I journey into the orchard and out to the Ciderhouse. Please follow us along on Twitter @ciderchat Find photos and

Wouter Bijl's opened CiderCider in 2009 online and then as the first cider store for the Netherlands. The Dutch can now proudly proclaim cider has arrived. Proost! This cider chat goes back and forth to the US to the Netherlands discussing the range of the ciders available, country styles, and the current and future state of cider in the Netherlands. Wouter is a cider importer who is helping cider get its footing in the land of tulips and cheese. Grab a glass and join the chat! on twitter @ciderchat

West County Cider, of Colrain Massachusetts was one of the very first producers of cider post prohibition in the US, starting back in 1984. Terry Maloney made the cider on the side while continuing to work as head of the local hospital’s ER. He and wife Judith and son Field worked tirelessly selling their notable ciders and were founders of the now annual CiderDays in Franklin County Massachusetts, one of the first cider fests in the US now in its 21st year.   It was a long road for the family, even with write ups in the New York Times and Ebony magazine touting their ciders. Just as cider was beginning its long awaited comeback, tragedy struck the family in 2010. Terry died when a valve released on a tank of gas throwing him back into a nearby wall. Field who had helped plant apple trees with his dad, stepped up to the plate and is now full-on as cidermaker at this renown orchard. Listen as he speaks with Cider Chat about the cider revival in the US, working with Redfield apples, and the bountiful future of

Welcome! Let’s begin the journey to Ciderville! Interviewing cidermakers importers, orchardists, foodies, farmers and cider enthusiasts around the world. Let’s delve into the semantics of cider…or is it hard cider, cidre, sidra or fermented apple juice? The truth is out there in Ciderville and we are going to find it. We toast in celebration of cider; As a libation, a gift from the gods, a taste of terroir, and a hard pressed good time. Ready to quench your thirst? Grab a glass and join this chat!