199: Bellwether Cider since 1996 | NY

199: Bellwether Cider since 1996 | NY

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist October 30, 2019 Duration: 1:01:37

In 1996 Bellwether Hard Cider and Wine Cellars opened for business in a repurposed chicken hatchery in upper New York state in the Finger Lakes regions surrounding Lake Cayuga. Now in its 23rd year of business, this family operation makes both cider, wine and is now planning to get into distilling.

Bill Barton of Bellweather Cider

Bill Barton of Bellwether Cider

This chat began outdoors under the covered porch outside the Tasting Room as a soft rain fell.

Bill began as a home fermenter making 5 gallon batches of wine and cider and then scaled up to a 1500 gallons when he first started the cidery.

Bellwether brings in juice from surrounding orchards and is even making cider for City Orchard based in Houston, Texas, slated to open in November 2019.

"Yeast is not a particularly important component"

Bill looks for the following in a balanced cider

  • Acid
  • Tannin
  • Sugar

He does not pitch any cultured yeast, but instead uses what is called an "Ambient" yeast - which I and other might call "wild yeast" in that it is what is found in both on the skin of the fruit and in the building.

Serial #0001

Serial #0000 from this one of a kind bottling line for 750ML Bottle line for 750ML Millennium line

750ML Millennium line #0001Twist Rinser: 12 ounce bottling line

Twist Rinser: 12 ounce bottling line

Bellwether Ciders

  • ambient yeast
  • back sweetened with sweet reserve "juice" only "if necessary" at bottling
  • Juice from Finger Lakes orchards
  • 6% alcohol by volume is what most ciders ring in at Bellwether
  • ferments dry
  • offers both carbonated and still

Flagship ciders

  • Original
  • Liberty Spy - one of the top best sellers. A blend of Northern Spy and Liberty
  • Lord Scudamore - is a Sparkling Cider that has been bottled conditioned for 5 years!

Bit of a reverse scene for packaging product at Bellwether

  • Bill started out with 12 ounce beer bottle  - and now only does 750ML.

What's in the future for Bellwether?

Bill recently purchased a copper Alembic still from Normandy, France. He plans to move into distilling product once he gets to licensing.

Normandy Still to be used at Bellweather Cider

Normandy Still to be used at Bellwether Cider, once licensing is complete

Contact for Bellwether Hard Cider and Wine Cellars

Website: https://cidery.com

Address: 9070 NY-89, Trumansburg, NY 14886

Telephone: 607-387-9464

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
398: Cider in Florida? Visit Green Bench Brewing, Mead & Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:26
Saint Peterburg on Florida's West Coast Welcomes Green Bench Green Bench can boast being a microbrewery, meadery, and cidery in a region where palm trees rule! Despite that small inconvenience of no apples trees to speak…
397: Nature Evolves in the Glass | Wildcraft Cider Works, OR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:50
Fermentations Run without Fear at Wildcraft Sean Kelly founded Wildcraft Cider Works in 2014. His journey to cider making began in 2008. It follows his botanicals passion, quest for tree resources & conservation, in conc…
396: PDX Audio Clips | CiderCon 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:08
Pre-conference PDX Audio Clips This Cider Chat Live features clips from CiderCon 2024 which took place in Portland, Oregon. What was particularly unique about this year was the ice storm that took place. Pictured below i…
395: PDX Tips for CiderCon 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:32
Bookmark this episode for loads of Portland Oregon a.k.a. PDX Tips Oregon Cider Week and CiderCon 2024 are all converging in PDX and this episodes has all the tips you need arrive and hit the ground running. Portland res…
394: Cider Notes Heading Into 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:54
It's time to make your Cider Notes for 2024 The list of cider notes can be quiet long, but in this episode we are going to make it doable and easy for you. In this Cider Chat on Cider Notes The Talking Pommes encourage R…
393: How to Wassail & Drink Hail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:16
What does Wassail & Drink Hail mean? In this episode learn about meaning behind Wassail and Drink Hail from the Butler himself, Al Sax. A Wassail is a celebration of the orchards, most typically apple orchards to honor t…
392: Bent Ladder Estate Ciders & Wine | Ohio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:58
The Vodraska Brothers Chris & Matt of Bent Ladder In the midst of a rich farming legacy emerged Bent Ladder Cider and Wine, based in Doylestown Ohio. Chris and younger brother Matt Vodraska are following in their father…
391: Test Winters & Climate w/Saint Lawrence Nurseries (NY) Founder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:45
Saint Lawrence Nurseries is a specialized tree nursery in New York state, renowned for its expertise in cold-hardy fruit and nut trees with a committment to sustainable and organic practices. The nursery, which was origi…
390: Renaissance Orchards Keeved & French Style Ciders | WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:21
Meet Chris Rylands of Renaissance Orchards First there was Cider Supply and then Chris founded Renaissance Orchards with his wife Melinda. This move was a natural progression of a series of events that include resources…