Episodes

  • 520: Stories Hidden in Old Apple Trees | Bunker & Little-Siebold

    520: Stories Hidden in Old Apple Trees | Bunker & Little-Siebold
    Nov 4 2026
    What can an old apple tree tell us about the past — and the future? Recorded at the 23rd Annual Heirloom Apple Day at Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont, this episode features apple historian and preservationist John Bunker and Todd Little-Siebold, historian and professor at College of the Atlantic. John reflects on what old apple trees teach us about place, mobility, community, and longevity. Todd follows the genetic trail of historic American apples, revealing lost varieties, surprising French ancestry, and discoveries that are rewriting apple history. From a 200-year-old tree in Maine to the rediscovery of Drap d'Or de Bretagne, this conversation explores why preserving old apples means preserving their stories, too. In This Cider Chat Why every apple grown from seed is genetically unique What a 200-year-old Maine apple tree can teach us about resilience Preserving unnamed apples and their local histories John Bunker and Todd Little-Siebold's apple preservation partnership The Maine Heritage Orchard and its collection of historic varieties Crowdsourced DNA testing and the search for lost cultivars The five French Grand-Mères in early American apple ancestry Indigenous orchards and the overlooked history of apples in North America The discovery of Drap d'Or de Bretagne, formerly Unknown Founder 13 Confusing Newtown Pippin with Peck's Pleasant The return of authentic Foxwhelp to American orchards Mentions in this Cider Chat Chronicle — WCVB Channel 5, Boston: Upcoming cider television feature and Instagram reels. Follow @ciderchatcidervilleCiderFeast Boston: November 14, 2026 — meet Ria with her glass and recorder!Cider Chat Episode 518: Denis Gwatkin of Gwatkin Cider Mill in Herefordshire, EnglandCider Chat Episode 519: Charles Martell — Stinking Bishop, rare perry pears, Gloucester cattle, and distilling.Totally Cider Tours: UK in August 2027 and France during blossom time in April 2027. Inquiries: info@ciderchat.com.Dan Bussey: Author of The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada. Episode Timeline 00:00 — Apples as Teachers: John Bunker's Opening Reflection 01:26 — News Out and About in Ciderville 03:18 — eCiderNews: Pennsylvania Research and the Netherlands' Cider Museum 05:55 — CiderFeast Boston and Recent UK Episodes 08:15 — Totally Cider Tours: UK and France 2027 10:49 — Video, Scott Farm, and Heirloom Apple Day 13:34 — John Bunker and Todd Little-Siebold Begin Their Presentation 14:44 — John Bunker: Place, Mobility, and the Apple Tree 24:02 — A 200-Year-Old Tree and the Future of Apple Genetics 28:17 — Saving Apple Stories and Lost Varieties 33:09 — Todd Little-Siebold: Joining the Search for Historic Apples 36:00 — Lost and Found: The Maine Heritage Orchard 37:39 — Maine Apple Camp and Collaborative Research 39:34 — Crowdsourced DNA Testing and Unknown Apples 40:23 — The French Grand-Mères of American Apples 45:44 — Early American Orchards and Apple History 48:40 — Rediscovering Drap d'Or de Bretagne 51:19 — Mystery Apples: Newtown Pippin and Peck's Pleasant 55:06 — Foxwhelp and Historic Naming Errors 56:37 — Audience Q&A: Apple DNA Submissions 57:27 — The French Ancestry of English and American Apples 01:00:58 — Russian Apples, Genetic Diversity, and Unanswered Questions 01:04:01 — Closing Thanks and Supporting Cider Chat 🍎 Get the full story, photos, links and more in the Episode 519 show notes at CiderChat.com. Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify ▶️ YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: Charles Martell's Stinking Bishop, Lost Pears and Pure Luck 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews/ Support Cider Chat 🍎 Become a Cider Chat Patron: https://www.patreon.com/ciderchat Stay Connected 🌐 https://ciderchat.com 📸 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville 📘 Facebook: Cider Chat
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 519: Charles Martell | Stinking Bishop, Perry Pears & Luck

    519: Charles Martell | Stinking Bishop, Perry Pears & Luck
    Oct 28 2026

    Charles Martell has spent decades preserving some of England's most remarkable cider and perry traditions — often with a healthy dose of luck along the way.

    In this episode, Charles joins Cider Chat from Gloucestershire to talk about the story behind Stinking Bishop cheese and its Wallace & Gromit fame, rare and disappearing perry pears such as Dymock Red, his historic distillery, Gloucester cattle, and a lifetime rooted in the orchards and traditions of the region.

    00:00 Charles Martell on Quality of Life
    00:30 Welcome to Cider Chat
    02:05 Out and About in Ciderville
    02:57 Filming Chronicle at New Salem's Museum Orchard
    07:13 Totally Cider Tours and a France Preview
    07:54 Arriving at Hunts Court
    08:56 How Charles Became a Farmer
    10:16 Saving Rare Perry Pears
    13:54 Small Farm, Low Volume, High Value
    16:22 Books and Lost Fruit Varieties
    21:55 The Curious Names of Perry Pears
    23:48 Perry Versus Cider
    25:37 Saving Rare Gloucester Cattle
    30:12 Discovering the Farm's Distilling History
    32:23 A Wood-Fired Copper Still
    34:52 The Historic Distilling House
    35:50 A Look Around the Courtyard
    37:36 Tracing the Distilling House's Origins
    38:12 Building the German-Made Still
    39:38 The Stories Behind the Spirits' Names
    40:30 Tasting Poireau
    42:17 Pommeau and Barrel Aging
    44:45 May Hill and the Surrounding Landscape
    46:53 Stinking Bishop and Wallace and Gromit
    49:07 Single and Double Gloucester Cheese
    50:58 Cheese Pairings, Rinds, and Bacteria
    57:20 Hulla Baloo Blue Cheese
    58:36 A Turning Point for Perry
    59:57 Growing Perry Pear Trees
    01:02:59 Where to Buy and How to Visit
    01:04:10 Final Reflections and Farewell

    🍎 Get the full story, photos, links and more in the Episode 519 show notes at CiderChat.com.

    Listen & Subscribe
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    Learn More
    🌐 Episode show notes: Charles Martell's Stinking Bishop, Lost Pears and Pure Luck
    📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews/

    Support Cider Chat
    🍎 Become a Cider Chat Patron: https://www.patreon.com/ciderchat

    Stay Connected
    🌐 https://ciderchat.com
    📸 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
    📘 Facebook: Cider Chat
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 518: All Roads Lead Back to Cider | Denis Gwatkin

    518: All Roads Lead Back to Cider | Denis Gwatkin
    Oct 21 2026
    "I've never been on holiday in my life. I work 365 days a year. I enjoy what I do." — Denis Gwatkin A few friends, some old cider-making equipment, and enough cider to share before heading to the pub. That was the plan. Then a stranger stopped at the farm gate, and Denis Gwatkin's homemade perry took an unexpected journey. In Herefordshire's Golden Valley, Cider Chat host Ria Windcaller sits down with Denis at Gwatkin Cider Mill's Red Cow restaurant. What began as making cider for friends has grown into a destination for farmhouse cider, perry, food, camping, and music festivals. Denis shares how it all came together and takes the long view on changing tastes. Strawberry cider helps pay the bills, but what happens to traditional bittersweet orchards when the market wants something different? Through it all runs a deep attachment to the farm and a clear enjoyment of the life he has built. In This Cider Chat The chance encounter with CAMRA's John Hallam that brought Denis's perry to a wider audience. How customer requests helped turn a cider shop into a destination. Changing tastes, fruit cider, and the future of bittersweet apple orchards. Natural fermentation, oak barrels, and stainless steel. How bag-in-box packaging and flash pasteurization changed the business. Selling cider face to face at agricultural shows and food festivals. Lessons from Denis's uncle, Brian Browning, on fruit and perry making. Finding satisfaction in a life where farming, cider, and home are intertwined. Ciders and Perry Discussed Kingston Black, Foxwhelp, Yarlington Mill, Norman, Stoke Red, Silly Ewe, No Bull, and Squeal Pig perry. Denis also discusses strawberry cider and recalls that his early award-winning perry was probably made from Moorcroft pears. Out and About in Ciderville CiderFeast Boston: November 14, 2026, at the South Boston Lithuanian Citizens' Association. Ria will be attending and recording conversations. Going too? Connect on Instagram @ciderchatciderville. Cider gains another competition platform as the Argentina Spirits Awards adds cider alongside mead and kombucha. A preview of the French Blossom Time Totally Cider Tour planned for late April 2027, visiting Paris, Normandy, and Brittany, including a hike at Étretat. A potential UK Totally Cider Tour in August 2027, with dinner at Gwatkin Cider Mill on the itinerary wish list. To join the interest list for either tour, email info@ciderchat.com. Contact Info for Gwatkin Cider Website: Gwatkin Cider Restaurant and camping: Gwatkin Red Cow Location: Moorhampton Park Farm, Abbey Dore, Herefordshire, HR2 0AL, England Telephone: +44 (0)1981 551906 Down on the Farm Festival Golden Valley Vintage & Country Fair Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts🎧 Spotify▶️ YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/518-denis-gwatkin-cider/ 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews Support Cider Chat If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat. 🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat Stay Connected 📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    53 mins
  • 517: What Made ACE Cider Brand Worth $40+ Million

    517: What Made ACE Cider Brand Worth $40+ Million
    Oct 14 2026
    Jeffrey House and his wife Angela founded the California Cider Company in 1993 and built ACE Cider into a nationally distributed brand before selling the company in 2021. In this Cider Chat, Jeffrey gets into what it actually takes to build a cider business: distribution, margins, product development, persistence, scaling, knowing when to sell, and why making great cider is only part of building a valuable company. Mentions in this Cider Chat - Boston CiderFeast – November 14, 2026 - French Cider Blossom Time Tour – April 24–May 1, 2027 – Find out about Totally Cider Tours: https://ciderchat.com/totally-cider-tours/ - eCiderNews – This week's story features the new Somerset cider box collaboration from Wilding Cider and Rawlins Family Cider- Wilding and Rawlins Team Up on Somerset Cider Box Time Stamps 00:00 Cider Without Overthinking 02:13 The ACE Cider Origin Story 03:19 Out & About in Ciderville 06:05 Cider Events, Tours & News 09:31 Meet Jeffrey House 11:18 From Local Apples to National Scale 15:52 Building a Cider Company to Sell 18:58 Immigration & the Early Hustle 24:19 Finding Product Winners 30:34 The Reality of Cider Distribution 33:37 Building the Brand & Planning an Exit 37:21 Location, Costs & Business Decisions 38:32 Serendipity, Timing & Luck 39:58 The Entrepreneurial Mindset 41:58 Building a Product vs. Building a Business 42:29 The Pareto Principle & Persistence 44:41 Scaling, Cash Flow & Margins 46:38 Standing Out with Fruit Ciders 47:35 Selling ACE Cider 52:26 The Reality of Corporate Ownership 54:11 How the Cider Market Has Evolved 56:07 The Origins of ACE Fruit Ciders 58:36 Jeffrey House on Cider's Future 01:00:43 The Cider King 01:01:52 Ria's Wrap & Totally Cider Tour 01:03:17 Closing Song Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts🎧 Spotify▶️ YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/517-what-made-ace-cider-brand-worth-40-million/ 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews Support Cider Chat If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat. 🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat Stay Connected 📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 516: Tasting Time | Totally Cider Tour '26 - France

    516: Tasting Time | Totally Cider Tour '26 - France
    Oct 7 2026

    What does time taste like?

    Join Cider Chat MC Ria on the 2026 Totally Cider Tour through Normandy, Domfrontais and Brittany, where cider, poiré, Pommeau and Calvados become a way of experiencing place, people and time.

    The journey begins with a reconnaissance adventure near Étretat and continues into orchards, cellars and conversations with makers, including Jacques Perritaz of Cidrerie du Vulcain and Eric Bordelet. At Eric's table, a tasting across vintages reveals how cider, poiré and Cormé continue to transform in the bottle.

    Then hear directly from the people who traveled on the tour about what surprised them, what they learned and what they'll remember from cider country in France.

    Mentions in This Cider Chat

    Totally Cider Tours

    Bent Ladder Estate Ciders & Wine | Episode 392

    Giard | 13 Generations Making Cider, FR | Episode 177

    France Blossom Time Tour 2027
    Interested in joining the next Totally Cider Tour to France? Email info@ciderchat.com

    Timestamps

    Note: Cider Chat uses dynamic ad insertion. Depending on the ads served, actual playback times may vary slightly from the timestamps below.

    00:00 Lost After Dark in Normandy

    01:16 Finding the Trail Back

    03:02 Welcome to Cider Chat

    04:07 Reconnaissance in Étretat

    08:25 La Mer à Boire with Jean-François Bougeant

    10:05 An Unexpected Normandy Dinner

    10:50 The Totally Cider Tour Begins

    12:46 Meeting Jacques Perritaz

    14:06 Learning to Work with Tannins

    14:52 Drought, Deep Soil and Healthy Trees

    16:04 Tasting Time with Eric Bordelet

    18:43 Argelette Across the Years

    23:27 Cormé and Transformation in the Bottle

    25:48 Ted's France Tour Reflections

    33:16 The Magic of Low-ABV Cider and Poiré

    33:43 Carla and Galen's Tour Reflections

    34:46 What the Calvados Cellar Teaches You

    37:03 Learning from the Distillers

    38:53 Discovering the Range of Calvados

    40:28 Joyce and Andy's Tour Reflections

    42:21 Discovering Poiré and French Towns

    44:41 Discovering Pommeau and Calvados

    46:58 Martin on Aged Perry and Access

    54:57 France Tour Wrap and Blossom Time 2027

    Listen & Subscribe

    🍎 Apple Podcasts

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    Learn More

    🌐 Episode show notes:
    https://ciderchat.com/podcast/516-totally-cider-tour-france/

    📰 eCiderNews:
    https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner:
    https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips:
    news@ciderchat.com

    📱 Instagram:
    @ciderchatciderville
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    56 mins
  • 515: World of Cider: The Baltic Region

    515: World of Cider: The Baltic Region
    Sep 23 2026

    What happens when a cider region has the apples, but not centuries of rules telling cidermakers what cider is supposed to be?

    Recorded at CiderCon 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island, this World of Cider session brings together three Latvian cider makers and Asnāte Ziemele of Baltic Cider.

    The Baltics have a long apple-growing heritage, but their modern cider movement is remarkably young. That gives today's makers room to experiment with local heirloom apples, wild seedlings, European cider varieties, pét-nat, still cider, wild fermentation and more as they develop their own Baltic cider identity.

    In This Cider Chat
    Why Baltic cider is something of a blank slate
    Northern climate, orchards and local apple varieties
    Wild seedlings, crab apples and European cider varieties
    Pét-nat, still cider and wild fermentation
    Building consumer understanding of real cider
    Organic orchard practices and wildlife pressure
    Cider regulations, ABV and taxes
    Food pairings and where to find Baltic cider
    Building a Baltic cider identity without fixed traditions
    Featured Panel

    Asnāte Ziemele | Baltic Cider

    Jānis Matvejs | Abuls Cidery

    Mārtiņš Knipšis | Pienjāņi Cidery

    Māris Plūme | Mr. Plūme Cidery

    Timestamps

    00:00 Baltic Cider Blank Slate

    01:16 Host Intro and Cider Tours

    03:17 Why the Baltics Now

    04:05 Meet the Baltic Cider Association

    04:52 Origins After 1991

    05:57 Climate and Growing Conditions

    08:17 Orchards and Apple Types

    10:22 Styles and Ingredients

    11:39 Challenges and Marketing

    12:07 Abuls Cidery Story

    14:36 Abuls Orchard and Pét-Nat

    16:30 Pienjāņi Orchard Journey

    19:47 Conservative Dry Cider Approach

    21:51 Mr. Plūme Philosophy

    26:17 Wild Fermentation Method

    28:01 Audience Q&A and Sweet Cider

    28:45 Real Cider Education

    29:59 Selling Sweet and Natural Cider

    30:16 Restaurants Build Awareness

    31:09 Organic Orchard Practices

    33:03 Wild Apples and Bitters

    33:46 ABV Limits and Taxes

    35:37 Building a Baltic Cider Identity

    36:49 Apples in Latvian Life

    38:54 Food Pairings with Cider

    40:01 Where to Drink Baltic Cider

    41:17 Market Niches and Bottles

    43:11 Baltic Cider Association Communication

    44:28 Regulations and Labeling

    47:20 Fences and Wildlife Pressure

    47:57 Grafting and Tree Sourcing

    48:58 Closing Thanks and Signoff


    Listen & Subscribe

    🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cider-chat/id1054230417

    🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/25z9PBrbF5ERsv8X0SDWIV

    ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CiderChat

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    Cider Chat: https://ciderchat.com/

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    Support Cider Chat

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    https://ciderchat.com/cider-going-up/

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    52 mins
  • 514: Doing More With Lees | Ryan Monkman

    514: Doing More With Lees | Ryan Monkman
    Sep 9 2026
    Lees are more than sediment at the bottom of a tank. Recorded at CiderCon 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island, cidermaker and fermentation consultant Ryan Monkman explores how cidermakers can put lees to work throughout fermentation, élevage, and bottling. Ryan digs into fine and gross lees, cracking lees, bâtonnage, autolysis, oxygen management, fault correction, bottle conditioning, and practical ways to decide which lees to keep and which to let go. Timestamps 00:00 Cider Is Sensory 02:25 News From Ciderville 04:29 Back To CiderCon 05:29 Fine, Gross And Cracked Lees 07:58 Passive To Active Uses 09:29 Harvesting And Storing Lees 13:16 Cracking Lees 18:53 Why Crack Fresh Lees 21:46 Using Lees In Fermentation 26:15 Bâtonnage And Élevage 28:30 Using Lees To Correct Faults 31:10 Bottling, Canning And Kegging 35:22 Dosing Lees For Ancestral Cider 36:41 Traditional Method And Sur Lie 38:07 What To Watch For With Lees 39:55 Bâtonnage Timing And Technique 41:55 Bâtonnage And Oxygen 43:25 Cracked Lees And Autolysis 44:26 Building Three Cider Styles 47:03 Élevage Strategies 48:17 Bottling The Three Ciders 49:35 Lees, Yeast And Terroir 50:54 Ryan Monkman Wrap Up Mentions in This Cider Chat eCiderNews Cider led the August Beer Purchasers Index for the first time, coming in ahead of imports.Michigan's important fall cider seasonAn update to the remembrance of cider author and advocate Ben Watson, with additional reflections from his longtime friend Annie Card.Subscribe to eCiderNews for the latest cider news and analysis. Totally Cider Tours | France Ria is heading back to France with Totally Cider Tours for an autumn journey through French cider country, with more stories from the orchards and cideries coming to Cider Chat. CiderFeast Brooklyn CiderFeast returns to Brooklyn on October 3, bringing cider makers and cider fans together in New York City. Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify: Spotify ▶️ YouTube: YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/514-doing-more-with-lees/ 📰 eCiderNews: eCiderNews Support Cider Chat If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat. 🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: Patreon Stay Connected 📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com 📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    54 mins
  • 513: Still Cider, Single Apples and Time | Sowams, Rhode Island

    513: Still Cider, Single Apples and Time | Sowams, Rhode Island
    Aug 26 2026

    What happens when a cidermaker decides to do less and give cider more time?

    Spencer Morris of Sowams Cider Works in Warren, Rhode Island, makes cider with more than 70 apple varieties, old mechanical rack-and-cloth presses, glass demijohns and a remarkably hands-off approach.

    Explore still cider, single-varietal apples, long aging on the lees, native fermentation, and why some Sowams ciders aren't released until they are three or four years old.

    Timestamps

    00:00 Doing Less and Giving Cider Time

    00:25 Meet the Guest

    01:59 Single Varietal Cider

    05:25 News from Ciderville

    08:24 Fall Cider Festivals

    10:29 Arriving in Rhode Island

    12:55 Inside Sowams Cider Works

    14:38 Spencer's Cider Story

    18:38 Orchard and Rootstocks

    22:37 Harvest Timing

    24:55 Fermenting in Demijohns

    31:59 No Sulfites, No Filtration

    35:15 Aging Cider and Favorite Apples

    37:07 Storing Apples Before Pressing

    37:49 Concentrating the Fruit

    38:30 Culling Apples and Sediment

    40:53 Hands-Off Fermentation

    42:07 Customers and the American Palate

    46:15 Rhode Island Heritage Apples

    48:53 Tasting the Orchard Blend

    51:44 Serving Cider and Batch Numbers

    55:03 Blending Apples at the Press

    58:04 Tasting Rhode Island Greening

    01:01:13 Weather and Vintage Variation

    01:02:17 Visit Sowams and Final Thoughts

    Listen & Subscribe

    🍎 Apple Podcasts

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    Learn More

    🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/513-sowams-cider/

    📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com

    📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    1 hr and 7 mins