

Cider Chat
Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist
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! See you in Ciderville!
Episodes
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May 11, 2022 • 38min
319: Arnaud Jouny's Cidre, Poire & Chouchen | Brittany, FR
Bretagne's Domaine Jouny In 1997 Arnaud Jouny was a professional bee keeper. In 2014 he built the current building where he both makes cidre and poire and also distills. He also makes a local product known as Chouchen. All products made at Domaine Jouny are grown or raisded (bees) using organic practices. Arnaud Jouny holding Eau de Vie Poire What is Chouchen Chouchen is kind of a cross between a Cyser and Mead. A Cyser is a fermentation of apple juice with some honey. Mead is fermented honey. Chouchen is the process of first fermenting apple juice and then adding honey. It is believed that the Druids introduced Chouchen to the locals and rumored that they also added bee bodies and bee venom. It is also said, that one glass of Chouchen would make you fall backwards and not wake up until a few days later. Today Chouchen is enjoyed as an aperitif. Where is Domaine Jouny Located From the coastal city of Saint Malo, Domaine Jouny is about a 30 minute drive to the east. There are some apples trees on site, but Arnaud gets most of his fruit from nearby orchards. Front face of Domaine Jouny Contact Arnaud Jouny Website: https://cidrejouny.wordpress.com/ Mentions in this Chat French Cider Tour Normandy & Brittany, France - September 18th-24th, 2022 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube Join the #ciderGoingUP Campaign today!

May 4, 2022 • 36min
318: Manoir de Montreuil | 13 Generations in Cider
Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil with Patrice Giard In this episode: Patrice Giard recorded during the Totally Cider Tour to Normandy France in September 2018. The upcoming 2022 French Cider Tour will be making a stop at this ciderie. Patrice is a 13th generation cidermaker at this family farm. Patrice, his wife and his daughter are running the farm. His daughter’s focus is on milk production with Patrice focusing on the cider production. The trees in the orchard that we were walking in were planted in 1996. In the tasting room Patrice Giard Some of the Apples tasted during this recording Domaine du Calvados also known as De Clou Bisque Frequin Rouge Orchard at Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil 30 hectares of orchards on a 120 hectare farm Standard size trees The orchard management is to prunes the apples trees every three years. The orchards itself has 50 different varieties As required by the appellation of Pays d’Auge Patrice needs to have a map of the apple varieties in the orchard Patrice does not use any pesticides on his orchards. Orchard management tip: When Patrice notices insects on the trees, he lets the cows in the orchard to graze and they will scratch their bodies on the trees and in turn knock off the insects. While standing in the oak barrel room I asked ‘What is the minimum time that the barrels stay empty” The reply is that “There is no reason to keep the barrels empty” :) Contact for Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil Address: D101 -D85A, 14340 MONTREUIL-EN-AUGE Mentions in this Chat French Cider Tour Normandy & Brittany, France - September 18th-24th, 2022 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube Join the #ciderGoingUP Campaign today!

Apr 27, 2022 • 56min
317: How a "Cyder" Teapot fueled the American Revolution
Cider’s back story behind the American Revolution In the 1700s ceramic teapots were the political bumper stickers of the day! In this episode we hear about the Cyder Act teapot that the Museum of the American Revolution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has just acquired. The museum’s Curator of Collections, Mark Turdo, tells us how the British based uprisings against the over reaching Cyder Act played a pivotal role in the American Revolution – in that they help to teach American how to protest! Placing your dissent on teapots was an obvious protest and that is exactly what the Cyder Pot helped to teach! In these modern time uprising against tyranny happens on a daily basis, but colonist in the New World were dedicated to the crown and it was unheard of to revolt…That is until they began seeing English cidermakers revolt against taxation when the Cyder Act was introduced. These ceramic Cyder Act Pots were made in England and displayed in homes, but their symbolism was far reaching. Taxation’s heavy hand was being push back and that alone was monumental forward thinking! right side of Liberty Teapot The Stamp Act in America Gets Repealed Great Britain was on the hunt for more revenue and the Stamp Act was their ticket in the New World. It was set up to stamp a duty (tax) on newspapers and legal and commercial documents. Thanks to the models of resistance displayed by the British cidermakers and their Cyder Act Teapots, Americans saw that they too could revolt against taxation! The Stamp Act never gained footing and was repealed a year after it was introduced. This is all to say that the path to freedom and independence from tyranny is not always a straight forward path. The Cyder Act Pot is a perfect example of a monumental sidebar lesson that helped fuel the American Revolution! Take a deep dive into this story in English Cider Fermented the American Revolution via Mark Turdo’s blog Pommel Cyder Mark A. Turdo Mark also recommends Chapter 4 “The Cider Tax, Popular Symbolism and Opposition in Mid-Hanoverian England,” in Markets, Market Culture and Popular Protest in Eighteenth-Century Britain and Ireland, edited by Adrian Randall and Andrew Charlesworth. UK Maker Julian Temperly’s on the Cyder Act Clock Hear English cidermaker Julian Temperly of Somerset Brandy and Burrow Hill Cider share his tale and take on the historical Cyder Act Clock Go to the following Facebook link to watch a 7-minute video on this topic: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14qV3aEZaf/ Contact for the Museum of the American Revolution website: https://www.amrevmuseum.org/ Mentions in this Chat French Cider Tour | Normandy and Brittany September 18th-24th, 2022 InciderJapan – Japan’s first and only bilingual magazine dedicated to all things cider

Apr 20, 2022 • 1h 13min
316: Celebrating New Zealander Alex Peckham | 1962-2022
Alex Peckham New Zealand's Premier Cidermaker With wit and charm and dashing good looks Alex Peckham charmed all who had the pleasure of meeting him. The fact that he produced exemplary ciders was merely a side bonus. I met Alex for the first and only time in Baltimore Maryland in 2018. We were both attending that American Cider Association's annual trade conference CiderCon. I posted that episode in Season 3 of Cider Chat on episode 139. Since that time, Peckhams has continued to expand its cider offerings in both bottles and cans. It is a must have brand from this beautiful region of the world. Alex Peckham CiderCon 2018 Alex Peckham passed away due to a malignant brain tumor in April of 2022. He was 59 years old. The tumor had been diagnosed 3 months earlier. He had a a lot of life yet to live and is deeply missed by so many in cider world. In this Chat with Alex It is my hope dear listeners of Cider Chat that this episode may encourage you to visit the Southern Hemisphere whose growing season is much different than what we find in the North. I hope it will help you plan a trip to New Zealand and taste the cuisine, meet the people and drink their fine cider. Peckham's was never opened to the public, but that shouldn't deter you to seek out its cider now. And interesting coincidence I have reworked a bit of the news in this episode to update from the original airing in 2018. Interestingly at that time I was offering a cider tour to France. Caroline Peckham, Alex's beloved wife, wrote to me at the time of episode 139's airing, "Wow! We listened to your podcast last night and it was awesome - thank you so much! We loved how you went through the cidermaking year in the Southern Hemisphere - really helps people get a handle on the process and brings it to life. Only downside was that we are now both so envious of your trip to Normandy! My mother is French and I spent some time in Brittany when younger, eating galettes and drinking cider, so I know what a treat you are in for." In this episode 316, I am once again offering a tour to both Normandy and Brittany. After two years of pandemic shut downs, it is time to return. Reservations go live next week at the https://ciderchat.com/totallyciderfrance/ We have come full circle. The highlights in this episode with Alex When is New Zealand's Apple Blossom season? How long is New Zealand's growing season? When do they make cider? Alex also shares tips on how he makes cider working with both cultured and wild yeast. Alex is full of cider knowledge and an absolutely delightful man with wit and insight that helps make this chat a must listen. Who knew that hares could be such a problem in the orchard? Alex and Caroline Peckham New Zealand's Cidermaking Seasons January - Summer time in New Zealand Thinning, cleaning and clearing of the orchard as the trees are fully laden with apple February - Picking Cider Apples: Knotted Cornell Muscadet de Dieppe March Kingston Black Kingston Brown April into June Apple harvest continues June Apple pressing begins July Wassail Pruning of apple trees August - September Pruning continues September - October The south island of New Zealand experiences a long blossom time that runs through these two months November Baby apples are growing on the trees December The heat is back on as this region of the world is heading full steam into summer Peckham's Ciders Classic range - which have cider with fruit Good fruit, moderate sweetness with balanced acid, tiny bit of bitterness and astringency Special Release Ciders - one a month special blends High component of wild fermentation Contact Peckham's Cider Website: https://www.peckhams.co.nz/ eMail: ac@peckhams.co.nz No Tasting Room at this site Mentions in this Chat French Cider Tour | Normandy and Brittany September 18th-24th, 2022 2018 Totally Cider Tour at Domaine Dupont Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Apr 13, 2022 • 55min
315: Climate Change & Apple Disease | CiderCon 2022
Climate Change insights for Orchardists Elizabeth Garofalo of the University of Massachusetts is an Extension Educator and part of the Fruit Team. This workshop presented how regional climates are shifting and the impact that climate has and will have on disease management and the pathogens seen in the orchard. The case study was on bitter rot and powdery mildew and how it is increasing in Massachusetts. View the entire slide show synced with the audio at the Cider Chat YouTube Channel 0000000 Download the pdf of the slide show as presented during this climate workshop via this link: https://apples.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022_E_Garofalo_CiderCon.pdf Contact info for Elizabeth Garofalo Extension Fruit Educator UMass Extension Fruit Program Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment eMail: egarofal@umass.edu Mentions in this Chat New England Tree Fruit Guide RIMpro French Cider Tour | Normandy and Brittany September 18th-24th, 2022 2018 Totally Cider Tour at Domaine Dupont Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Apr 6, 2022 • 51min
314: Top of the Mitten | Michigan Cider Terroir
Northern Michigan a.k.a. Top of the Mitten A cider tasting with Left Foot Charley, Tandem Cider and Presque Isle Farm Cider as presented at CiderCon20222. Nicole LeGrand Leibon of LaNose Knows consulting moderated this panel discussion and tasting. (LtoR) Nicole LeGrand Leibon, Dan Stepanski, Dan Young Order of cider from the Mitten Makers The flight as poured during this tasting 1. Earnest - Tandem Cider | Suttons Bay, MI Tandem used cote du blanc yeast and a centrifuge to filter and stop fermentation. 2. Porters Perfection - Left Foot Charley | Traverse City, MI This cidery uses both barrels and stainless steel 3. Crabster - Tandem 4. Antrium county - left foot Charley 5. Farmhouse cider - Presque Isle Farm | Posen, MI This cidery ferments their ciders with the wild yeast and only pitch yeast if fermentation doesn’t begin 6. Single Varietal Kingston Black, Presque Isle Farm Presque Isle Farm - Kingston Black Brian Ulbrich of Left Foot Charley was not able to attend this workshop. Contact for these Makers Nicole LeGrand Leibon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-legrand-leibon-91238315a/ Dan Young - Tandem Cider Dion Stepanski - Presque Isle Farm Cider Brian Ulbrich - Left Foot Charley Mentions in this Chat French Cider Tour | Normandy and Brittany September 18th-24th, 2022 2018 Totally Cider Tour at Domaine Dupont GLINTCAP Michigan Cider Chat episodes 074: Nicole and Rafe Ward | Forgotten Ciders, Michigan 079: Dan Young | Tandem Ciders, Michigan 118: Cider Dinner w/Gitche Gumee Ciderworks| MI 125: Prez. Vander Heide | USACM & Vander Mill 127: West Michigan's Ridge Cider 145: 1 Guy & 6 Girls | Sietsema Cider, MI Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Mar 30, 2022 • 1h 3min
313: Wild Yeast Fermentations | CiderCon 2022
Wild, Clean & Free: Harnessing the Beauty of Wild-Fermenting, Without the Flaws Was presented at CiderCon2022 held in Richmond, Virginia in February. The seminar was moderated by Christine Walter of Bauman's Cider. Three makers shared a taste of their select ciders that are fermented with wild yeast or what is also referred to as ambient yeast. Another term for this type of fermentation is Natural Cider or a Spontaneous Ferment. The three ciders presented during this workshop/tasting Levi Danielson of RAW Cider presented Koosh Wild Ferment. RAW is based in McMinnville, Oregon. Levi Danielson, RAW Cider Leif Sundström of Sundström Cider presented Sponti 2020. His cidery is based in New York's Hudson Valley. Leif Sundström Soham Bahatt is co owner of the Artifact Cider Project. He presented a 2017 Roxbury Russet Pet Nat. There are two Massachusetts locations: Cambridge and Florence. Soham Bahatt In this Chat (l to r) Christine Walter, Levi Danielson, Leif Sundström and Soham Bahatt During this session participants were lead through a tasting of traditional and pet-nat ciders and the unique processes that they use while producing a cleanly fermented sparkling cider. Mentions in this Chat Episode 296 with Christine Walter - Bauman's Cider | Oregon's Destination Farm Cidery Episode with Soham Bahatt - Artifact Cityscape | Building a Cidery Part 5 Albemarle Ciderwork episodes 56 Chuck Shelton & 254 Blending Like Maker Like Chef Chuck Shelton on the Right in a Suit receiving the coveted Virginia Governor Cup for Albemarle Ciderworks 2019 Hewes Crab. Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Mar 23, 2022 • 1h 5min
312: Angels Dressed Like Bears | Michael Phillips 1957-2022
Tribute to Author and Orchardists Michael Phillips I spoke with his long time friend Alan Surprenant of Brook Farm Orchard in Ashfield, Massachusetts on a cool March day a little over two week's after the unexpected passing of Michael Phillips. The two men met originally at a New England Organic Farmers Association (NOFA) conference that was being held at Hampshire College and they soon became fast friends. It was Alan who first contacted me with the news of Michael's unexpected passing and I knew he'd be perfect to speak about the life of one of America's premier apple writers and teachers. Michael's book placed in tribute to his passing a few days earlier at the 2022 Berkshire Roundtable Michael died in his orchard in the Lost Nation area of New Hampshire on February 27, 2022. He was in the process of writing his fourth book and building out a Speakeasy where friends could gather to sip cider on his land that he shared with his wife Nancy and where they raised their daughter Grace. I expected to talk a bit more about Michael with Alan, but we kept rolling back to talking about orchard care, a topic that was close to Michael's heart and certainly his life's work. It was fitting because both men held in common the work of helping homeowners and budding orchardist learn the basics of orchard care. For Michael it was his full time work writing books, consulting and presenting on the topic. He was the anchor of the Berkshire Roundtable, which is a yearly meetup of apple growers and more recently cider makers. Alan Surprenant Pay tribute to Michael Phillips by Planting a Tree Michael Phillip's Books The Apple Grower A Guide for the Organic Orchardist (2005 revised edition) The Holistic Orchard Growing Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way (2012) Mycorrhizal Planet How Symbiotic Fungi Work with Roots to Support Plant Health and Build Soil Fertility (2017) Contact Info for Michael Phillips Books and Network Website: http://lostnationorchard.com/index.php Link to In Memorian to Michael Phillips http://lostnationorchard.com/memoriam.php Contact for Alan Surprenant Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brook-Farm-Orchard-1616011222000571 Instagram: @brookfarmorchard Mentions in this Chat Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist 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. Listen also at iTunes, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Mar 16, 2022 • 1h 1min
311: Saving Bears by Making Cider | Farmstead Cider, WY
Farmstead Wyoming's First Commercial Cidery Ian McGregor who cofounded Farmstead Cider with Orion Bellorado holds the title of being both the first commercial cidery in the state of Wyoming and as of this episode published in 2022 remain the sole cidery in the state. These enterprising makers source their apples from residential homes in the area which have an abundance of crab apples that were planted for homeowners. They are currently planting an orchard, but most of the apples today are sourced from homeowners. Ian McGregor enjoying a cider post harvest Saving Nuisance Bears by Making Cider A grant helped to fund their task of removing apples from as many local properties, as possible. The homeowners were happily to have the apples harvested which helped to reduce the number of bear/human conflicts in the area. Farmstead Cider ferments these high-altitude crab apples in a lovely assortment of cider, which by the way are fermented with the wild/ambient yeast. Farmstead Apples The apples are tart, tannic, sweet, and delicious, and they help our ciders stand out. We can credit the bears for their individuality. We now pick apples all over Jackson Hole, assisting in the conservation of animals and apple trees while producing small-batch hard ciders that represent our unique surroundings! Bear 399 Local Bear 399 is a favored grizzly who most recently had 4 cubs and is one of the key bears who specifically encouraged the community to work with Farmstead Cider. What bear loving person wouldn't want to save Bear 399! Grizzly "Bear 399" & her cubs pulling off the choice crab apples[/caption] Wild Ferments with no Sulfites Farmstead ferments all the ciders with only the wild yeast. They found that even with the temps go way down the cider continues to bubble along. Expect low acidity and high brix Made with primarily bittersweet crabs The tannins are pronounced and well balanced Unique Apples Names and Terroir Because most of the apple trees are unidentified the trees and their fruit are given unique names such as Highschool Purple, Rafter Jay or Red Canyon Nan. Since the trees are named after a specific tree in a specific area everyone knows where the harvest will be that day and it designates a specific terroir for that site. Contact for Farmstead Cider Website: https://farmsteadwyo.com/ Order online: https://farmsteadwyo.com/bottle-shop Address: 4125 Pub Place Suite #4 Jackson, WY 83001 Mentions in this Chat Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist Listen via Spotify app the Future of Agriculture podcast with Cider Chat patron Tim Hammerich 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Mar 9, 2022 • 53min
310: D.O.P.E. Cider House & Winery | Youngstown, OH
The DOPE Brand Hannah Ferguson is giving us all a reason to visit Youngstown, Ohio. Her DOPE brand is helping to introduce the city to cider like never before. The bio says that the DOPE brand is about a "Winemaker, Marketing, Event planning, other business services" but this only stays in step wit how she is keeping the door wide open for opportunity. This Winter and Spring she is busy getting her new cidery up and rolling. It is located next to Penguin Brewing Company. The two business are both revving up the neighborhood where the wildly popular Youngstown Flea [market] is located too. Expect the brewery and DOPE cidery next tood to all be open this year 2022. Hannah Ferguson The message behind DOPE DOPE stands for Dwell on Positive Energy and Hannah radiates this vibe! Hear her story on how she got there and how she is able to stay there in this episode. Per the DOPE website: "DOPE isn't only a cider and wine manufacturer, but a lifestyle brand that takes pride in creating connections and experiences uniquely through cider and wine. DOPE brands LLC was established in 2017. Most importantly D.O.P.E. is about empowering underrepresented minorities in the industry as well as enthusiasts." Contact for DOPE Cider House & Winery Website: http://www.dopethebrand.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theDOPEbrand Instagram: @dopethebrand Mentions in this Chat Support these Sponsors of Cider Chat so they can continue to support this podcast and help you make great cider! Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers Sraml - Food Processing and Cidermaking equipment specialist Ciderganza April 15th-18th Ross on Wye Cider and Perry Co. 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. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube