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
160: The Way of the Amateur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
The Way of the Amateur How do you pronounce Amateur? Did you know there is more than one way to approach this word? Do you use "amateur" as a compliment or an insult? If you are swinging back and forth on your answers to…
59: Ciderville Tales | Monterey Bay, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:59
The farmers of Monterey Bay California have been growing apples since the state constitution was first ratified in1849. The primary apple of the region is Newtown Pippin due partly to the demand for this apple by Martine…
158: CiderCon2019 | M. McGrath - USACM Exec Dir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:30
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. ---------------------- The United States Association of Cider Mak…
157: County Cork's Killahora Orchards | Ireland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:44
Killahora Orchards of County Cork is located on the southern tip of the Emerald Isle a.k.a. Ireland and was once the center of the world butter market. Historically it is also known as the "rebel city". Today it is a thr…
156: Not all lees are gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:50
Lees: When should we love them and when should we leave them? And what the heck is "lees" anyways? The main chat in this episode begins around 10 minutes in and features Curt Sherrer presenting his workshop titled "All L…
155: Sex(ism) in the Cidery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:46
Sex(ism) in the cidery was a panel discussion moderated by, Franklin County CiderDays committee chair April Woodard on November 3, 2018. The goal was to take the larger context from the MeToo Movement to the cidery commu…
154: Turning Straw into Gold | Apple Falls Cider Company [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:42
Matt Oskamp and Amelia Campbell started Apple Falls Cider Company in 2017. The cider house is situated alongside the farm store at Campbell Orchards located in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Campbell Orchards is owned by…
153:  Journey to the World's Largest Apple Tree | Kazakhstan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:17
In this episode author of "The New Cider Makers Handbook" Claude Jolicoeur presents an overview of his trip to Kazakhstan in August of 2017. This presentation was recorded at the 24th Annual Franklin County CiderDays on…
152: How to teach Cidermaking 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:48
Teaching Cider Making is fairly straight forward: Have on hand: Fresh pressed apple juice A carboy or some sanitized vessel to hold the juice, with enough room for it to ferment and not bubble over. An airlock to release…
151: The Sweet and Sour Side of Cider Podcasting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:07
Dave Carr makes cider using wild yeast and oak barrels (primarily). Raging Cider and Mead is based in San Marcos, California, which is about 15 minutes in land from Oceanside and based in San Diego County, California. Da…