004: Nick Gunn and Dave White | West Coast Ciders

004: Nick Gunn and Dave White | West Coast Ciders

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist November 18, 2015 Duration: 48:00

Gunn and White on a Cider Road Trip

Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider and Wandering Aengus in Oregon (as of 2024 both cideries have closed – Nick is now with BenchGraft a cider consulting business) 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 cider making. 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 tor, Dave White of Whitewood Cider Co. Olympia Oregon and Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider & Wandering Aengus Salem Oregon at CiderDays 2015
l to r, Dave White of Whitewood Cider Co. Olympia Oregon and Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider & Wandering Aengus Salem Oregon at CiderDays 2015

Nick and Dave discuss:

  • The Northwest Cider Association (NWCA)
  • The US Association of Cider Makers (USACM), now called The American Cider Association
  • The Cider ACT
  • Cider wiki – cider maker's tool kit
  • Dealing with regulations: Carbonation levels in cider and how this impacts cider makers in the US.
  • Oregon being the first state to allow cider in growlers
  • Northwest Mobile Juicing
  • And where to go when you land in either Portland Oregon or Tacoma Washington when looking for a lass of cider.

Gunn and White West Coast Cider Bar Recommendations

Washington Cider Bars:

Mentions in this Cider Chat


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
020: Curtis Sherrer | Millstone Cellars, Maryland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:58
Curtis Sherrer is barreling aging single variety apples at Millstone Cellars. An old grist mill dating back to the 1850s houses the Tasting Room. "We will have 50 barrels and then settle on 15 to pick from to blend for t…
019: Neil MacDonald | Orchard Park Farms, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:10
Neil MacDonald is a self described "man of the soil". He co-launched Orchard Pig Cider in 2004. His specialty is apple growing and the primary process of the cidermaking at Orchard Pig Cider. This recording was taped wit…
018: Darlene Hayes | Cider Cocktails, California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:55
You might know Darlene Hayes by her blog All into Cider. There you can find some quick cider cocktail lore and recipes. Yes, Cider Cocktails are hot…again! That's right, again! Mixing spirits with cider has been favored…
017: Got Juice? | Apple Juice Supplier, US to UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:30
Getting the right blend or single variety juice to make the perfect cider is part of every business plan for cideries both in the startup phase an ongoing. If you are not growing your own orchard, getting apple juice cou…
016: John Bunker | Super Chilly Farm, Maine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:41
John Bunker "Friend of Apples" John Bunker in this chat helps to trace the lineage in the US between cider apples and cidermakers. If you ever doubted whether you are on the right track with your cidermaking skills, Have…
015: Chris Jackson | FreedomFarmTV, Georgia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:05
At Freedom Farm, cider is on! Chris Jackson who is new to cidermaking has an enthusiasm for fermenting that is contagious. At the Farm his family is working towards sustainability and he is blogging about it all, via his…
014: Joe Getz | Kurant Cider, Pennsylvania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:18
Kurant Cider co-owner and head cidermaker, Joe Getz's business is expanding, just after one year into producing cider commercially in the eastern region of Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. Besides making cider at Ku…
013: Ryal Schallenberger | Northwest Mobile Juicing, Montana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:16
Mechanical engineer and entrepreneur Ryal Schallenberger is helping cidermakers throughout the northwest by providing a mobile juicing service. He drives truck and trailer right in to the orchard and in 30-minutes is rea…
012: Randall Grahm | Bonny Doon Vineyard, California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:05
Who is Randall Grahm 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 th…
011: Cider in a Kvervi at Castle Hill Cider | Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
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 estat…