165: Monterey Bay Cider Tour | California

165: Monterey Bay Cider Tour | California

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist January 30, 2019 Duration: 43:46

Monterey Bay, California cider tour April 12th & 13th, 2019

Reservations are open!

Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Tour Begins: 1pm Friday | April 12, 2019 in Capitola, California

Meet the makers and orchardists of Monterey Bay:

159 Monterey Maker

Cider and Orchard Tours and Tastings with:

Santa Cruz Cider Company  2019 Good Food Awards finalist for cider

  • Two sisters, Nicole and Natalie founded this company back in 2013.  Nicole's husband Felix creates the amazing ink labels that adorn this enterprising cidery's labels. Listen to Nicole's Cider Chat episode 60 and a recent conversation with Natalie and Nicole on a walkabout the orchard on episode 159.

Soquel Cider  - 2019 Good Food Awards winner for cider

  • Laura Everett is making cider at the orchard based organic farm, but I have a feeling that her husband Rich who tends the Honey Crisp orchard while Laura is nuturing the heirloom orchard is always at the ready with a smile and helping hand.  Listen to episode 164: Soquel Cider's Organic Orchards | California with Laura.

[caption id="attachment_3933" align="aligncenter" width="200"]Laura Everett - Soquel Cider Laura Everett - Soquel Cider[/caption]

Rider Ranch Ciderworks

  • Eric Rider is a self describe cider geek. He can't wait to talk to anyone interested in the subtle nuances of cidermaking. On the tour Eric will lead us through both a vertical and horizontal tasting of Newtown Pippins. Listen to the Riders Cider Chat on episode 110

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="225"]110 Katie and Eric Katie & Eric[/caption]

Tanuki Cider Company 

  • Robby Honda is the maker/owner of Tanuki. Listen to Robby on Cider Chat episode 103
  • [caption id="attachment_2575" align="aligncenter" width="225"]Robby Honda 103 Robby Honda of Tanuki Cider[/caption]

Serventi Ranch Cider 

  • Peter and Erin Serventi have an orchard based cidery outside of Watsonville. We will be having our lunch in their orchard and take part in a tour and tasting.
     

[caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Peter and Erin Serventi Ranch Cider Peter and Erin of Serventi Ranch Cider[/caption]

  • Jake Mann of Five Mile Orchard
    • Jake part of a multi generational orcharding family and he also like to make cider for his own enjoyment. Listen to Jake's Cider Chat episode 113

Jake Mann in Apple storage box 2

  • And the oldest maker in the USA - S. Martinelli & Company  founded in 1868

    • John Martinelli will lead the tour at the company's main juice plant. Listen to John's Cider Chat episode 162

[caption id="attachment_3821" align="aligncenter" width="225"]John Martinelli selfie John Martinelli and Ria recording episode 162[/caption]

Costs of Tour:

  • $385/person  - February 12, 2019
  • $400/person - February 13th - March 12th, 2019
  • $420/person - March 12th - April 12th, 2019

What's included?

  • Cider Tours and Orchard Tastings
  • Lunch on Saturday
  • Cider Dinner Saturday Night at Soquel Cider
  • Transportation to the tours, and cider dinner: Meet up and drop off location in Capitola

What is not included?

  • Flights or other transportation to and from Capitola, California
  • Airport transfers
  • Lodging
  • Travel Insurance (optional)
  • Dinner Friday night on own
  • Food and drinks outside of this cider tour offering
  • Cider bought from makers
  • Personal expenses

Please note that itineraries are subject to change.

Reservations are open!

Need Lodging: If you are coming from out of town - I have secured rooms at the Best Western  Plus Capitola By-the-Sea Inn & Suites in Capitola at a reduced rate of 169.99 + Tax.  This is a brand new hotel with gluten free options for breakfast, a heated pool, workout room and located a short walk to the Capitola Wharf. The BW room coupon code will be sent once your reservation is confirmed.

Locals lodging rates during this time of year in the area really swell up - like an apple filled with water - This is a very good rate - so lets fill up BW with cider fans!

 


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
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…
490: Let Cider Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state o…
489: Natural Cider Production Seminar | CiderCon 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:53
Natural cider is often misunderstood as funky, volatile, or flawed. Recorded live at CiderCon 2025, this seminar reframes natural cider as a philosophy of low intervention, balance, and intentional care, not a free pass…