198: Becoming a Pomologist w/ Dr. Peck

198: Becoming a Pomologist w/ Dr. Peck

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist October 23, 2019 Duration: 1:04:02

Gregory M. Peck of the School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York is the featured guest on episode 198.

Dr Gregory Peck in Peck Lab at Cornell University Greg in Peck lab

Greg's chat begins at 21:00 minutes into episode 198.

Before Greg's feature I am reminded by @e_of_blandings That now is the time to pick Medlars. If you have a photo of a medlar please send them my way to info@ciderchat.com and I will in turn post the photos on Cider Chat's social media, so we can all begin to increase our Medlar know how.

At 8:23 minutes in, I read a letter from Cider Chat Patreon Supporter and Russian cidermaker Maxim Brekht.

Maxim shares:

  • a range of obstacles that commercial makers in his country have to maneuver around in order to produce cider.
  • how the Peter Mitchel class informed him and what he is doing beyond the Mitchell class to improve his technical cider making skills.
  • the Russian palate for cider is not so different from other burgeoning cider communities around the world.

The Feature chat wth Greg Peck (at 21:00)

Greg has been in his role as Professor of Pomology at Cornell, since 2015.

Dr Gregory Peck Greg pointing to his door plaque that says, "Mad Scientist" under his name.

Greg discusses his initial research project at Cornell Assessing the Economic Feasibility of Growing Specialized Apple Cultivars for Sale to Commercial Hard Cider Producers

  • A bit on how the money works for grant writing a research project
  • How the United Kingdom has about the same amount of acreage of apples as New York state.

Says Greg Peck, "The cider industry is going to grow very rapidly"

  • What are the best college studies to choose when working towards becoming a pomologist

Find out more at the Cornell Hard Cider website:

http://hardcider.cals.cornell.edu

Follow Gregory Peck on Social Media

Thank you to the following producers for helping to sponsor Cider Chat's tour of the Finger Lakes CiderWeek!

Mentions in this Chat

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.

 


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
210: Cider Ireland w/Stonewell Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:16
Daniel Emerson discusses his Irish cider brand Stonewell Cider and Cider Ireland, a trade association for Irish cider makers. The American Cider Association annual trade conference CiderCon2020 had the following Irish Ma…
209: CiderCon2020 Insider Tips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:25
The 10th Annual American Cider Association trade conference CiderCon will be held in Oakland California, January 28th through to January 31, 2020. This episode provides an overview on the following topics: Oakland weathe…
208: Calvados and Apple Brandy Tasting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:15
The tables are set with 6 stemmed glasses per person, each holding a tasting of Calvados or American Apple Brandy. There are over 60 settings. It is a sold out night. At 6:30 pm, the house lights are lowered and it is re…
207: Redfield Cider Bar and Bottle Shop | Oakland, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:27
Redfield Cider Bar and Bottle Shop is located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland California. Owners Olivia Maki and Mike Reis opened the doors to patrons in January of 2019. Olivia Maki and Mike Reis of Redfield Ci…
206: Oakland's Crooked City Cider | CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:24
Crooked City Cider Tap House is located in the Jack London Square area of Oakland California. A mere stone's throw away in the Square you can take the fast speed ferry to San Francisco and other nearby ferry hops, making…
205: City Cidermakers at Duckchicken | London [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:01
Duckchicken makers Colleen O'Sullivan and James Mann are based in South London. Colleen is a certified Arborist and works as a Tree Officer in London and James works in "Knowledge" at a law office in London. Duckchickens…
204: Steve Selin |South Hill Cider, NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:34
Every Tuesday, when Steve was growing up, his Dad would be out that evening drinking cider with friends at the Cider Cellar, at the farm outside of Buffalo. That memory is his first on cider. Years later this professiona…
203: The Business of Cider | FLX Cider House, NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:11
Good Life Farm was started in 2008. On this same spot of land overlooking Cayuga Lake after the barn was built, the Finger Lakes Cider House opened 6 years later in 2014. Both the farm and the Tasting Room and Cidery wer…
202: Walkabout at Redbyrd Orchard | NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:28
"Everything about cider started for me in this old orchard, up the road." Says Eric. That abandoned orchard which first inspired Eric isn't there anymore, but he recalls the wild seedling trees that were growing in the h…
201: Ian Merwin PhD | Black Diamond Cider, NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:58
Where does a Cornell University Pomologist do upon retirement? They start a cidery, of course! Ian Merwin says, founding Black Diamond Cider, in Trumansburg, New York is his 4th career. He has lived in California, Chile,…