143: Perry & Cider at Windswept | Georgian Bay, CA

143: Perry & Cider at Windswept | Georgian Bay, CA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist August 29, 2018 Duration: 1:02:10

There is Perry being made in Georgian Bay, Ontario! Windswept Orchard Cider is 2 years old (founded in 2016) and is the creation of Mark Skinner,  wife Courtney and their two kids. This couples background is culinary cooking which is part of the inspiration for the cidermaking and their ability to tend to orchards. The 100 acre farm is located in the souther region of Georgian Bay.

They planted over a 1000 apples varieties of the cider making kind. While those dwarf apple trees are growing: read not yet producing as it takes around 3-5 years to really start getting apples. This enterprising couple is scrumping apples, and discovering "Lost Orchards" in their surrounding area.

From what Mark tells us this area of Canada has a lot of heritage apples trees. Mark works up a yearly rental agreement with landowners to pick the apples. And there are also lots of pear trees and they are tannic enough to make some mighty fine Perry.

Mark works full time at a vineyard and part time on Windswept.

All the cider are bottle conditions "Partly because we love the bubbles and because we don't have the equipment to do otherwise."

Find Windswept Orchard Ciders

  • Visit their online store -link is below
  • local farmer's markets
  • -in Toronto at Wynchwood Barn

Contact for Windswept Orchard Cider

Mentions in this chat

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!


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
228: Philadelphia Orchard Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) was founded in 2007 and serves Philadelphia and it surrounding area. This nonprofit organization both plants and supports community orchards in the city of Philadelphia. 2019 Harves…
227 The Color of Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:57
The Color of Cider provides a snap shot of an early practices used to deter black farmers gaining true equality and the difficulties facing African Americans today who may view farming as a step back to the plantation. W…
226: Northern Spy and the Underground Railroad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:14
Northern Spy is a short story that weaves the tale of the early grafting of the apple known as the Northern Spy, Quaker values, and the Underground Railroad. Read and written by Ryan Monkman, for the new Cider Chat segme…
225: Terroir Spotlight | western Massachusetts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:25
New England was the Plymouth Rock of cider in the US for the colonist and western Massachusetts is the launch pad of the modern day US cider market. It was here in 1984 that West County Cider and The Maloney family rekin…
224: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:25
What is Flor aka Film Yeast and can the cider be saved? It's all in Part 4 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listener…
223: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:21
Discover two cidermaking techniques that are also used in winemaking, called Maderisation and Bâtonnage. We delve into both of these topics in Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of F…
222: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:53
Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" continues with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners on working with oak barrels. Listen Part 1 of the Quaran…
221: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Pt1 Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
"Ask Ryan" features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact…
220: Can Sorbs Save the World? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
This is a continuation of our conversation with Arnould Narzain of Paris. Listen to Part 1 in episode 218: Sorbs not Sulfites Arnould Narzain with a drop backdrop of Sorbs In this episode Arnould shares even more attribu…
CCL: NY Cider Association | Ex Dir. S.Ramsey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:33
Bonus Cider Chat Live with the New York Cider Association's Scott Ramsey Scott Ramsey stepped into his role as Executive Director of the New York Cider Association on March 1, 2020. New York State was soon to become the…