211: Tales from CiderCon2020

211: Tales from CiderCon2020

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist February 5, 2020 Duration: 34:21

Enjoy these Snapshots of Tales from CiderCon2020 which details a bit of what I experienced both before the conference, while on the Parajo Valley Cider Tour and then my recap on CiderCon held in Oakland.

Thank you to Santa Cruz Cider Company for donating fresh pressed Newtown Pippin juice for the bus full of people on the Parajo Valley Cider Tour and Soquel Cider for donating bottles of the most delicious Laura's Orchard. These two ciders were opened before 9am as we rolled down the highway to our first stop of the day - Serventi Ranch Cider.

Serventi Ranch Cider Tasting Room Serventi Ranch Cider Tasting Room

The next stop was at Five Mile Orchard with Jake Mann and Eric Rider of Rider Ranch Cider who served up his Newtown Pippin ciders from Five Mile Orchard.

Jake Mann and Eric Rider greeting the cider tour bus Jake Mann and Eric Rider greeting the cider tour bus like two farmers

For lunch and orchard walks we headed to Aptos where Tanuki and Santa Cruz Cider Company. Lunch was a buffet of Thai.
This photo was taken in front of the 80 year old Sequoia tree next to the Apple Barn.Group cider tour photo

From Aptos it was onward to our last stop of the day at Cider Junction, where Hemly's Cider was also present. Publicans Tracy and Claudia provided a great presentation on the workings of running a successful cider bar, while filling our bellies with cheese and charcuterie.

Cider Junction cider bar

A great time was had by all!

I also provide a recap of my time at CiderCon2020 once the conference got rolling.

Mentions in this chat
* UK Cider Tour September 1-6, 2020 send me an email now to get your name on the list for this upcoming tour

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
368: Who named this apple Northern Spy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:30
Spy Novels Step Aside for an Apple of a Tale The Northern Spy is a delightful apple used both for baking and cidermaking! At one time it was a major export commodity due to its lack of bruising when packed in barrels. As…
367: Get Out of Jail Free Card w/Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:09
Weed, to Jail, and Freed by Cider There are so many title options for this episode, that all center around time spent in jail for one burgeoning cidermaker. "Busted Weed Grower Saved by Cider", was one that almost made t…
366:  Acclaimed Cider w/Minimal Intervention Tom Oliver [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
Not only is the cider acclaimed, so too is the Maker Tom Oliver is just as acclaimed as his cider which makes Oliver's Cider and Perry Co. a global hit on two fronts. He is affable, engaging and knows his way around soci…
365:  A Fantastical Indescribable Drink | Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:29
Is Cider Truly Indescribable? There isn't one definitive language or lexicon for cider, which adds to its indescribable mystique. The ongoing debate around what cider is or isn't or should be doesn't help. It certainly f…
364: If the Mandalorian Tended Orchards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:01
The Way of the Orchards Colin Scott has spent his life in orchards, learning how to tended them with his parents, Edward and Janice as role models. This episode is a testament of what it looks like to embody a craft as p…
363: Exploring Cider Using 33 Books Flavor Wheel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:00
The Founder behind 33 Books Company Dave Selden created 33 Books to help all of us track our favorite and not so favorite beverages! He is a graphic designer by trade, but soon found himself making tasting note books as…
362: The Lost Boy Cider Journey | Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
Tristan Wright the Lost Boy who Cider Found [ Tristan Wright on the French Cider Tour Tristan and Katie Wright are the owners of Lost Boy Cider, and now also the Lost Girl Wine brand, based in Alexandria, Virginia. Disco…
361: Is Sulfur Dioxide Necessary for Making Cider | CiderCon 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:04
Is Sulfur dioxide (SO2) a natural part of Fermentation? In this episode pre-recorded at CiderCon 2023, you'll get to hear from cider makers who will share their knowledge and expertise on the topic of sulfur dioxide cide…
360: Taproom and Hospitality Tips | CiderCon 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:41
Everything in the taproom should be adjustable This Taproom Tips workshop was presented at CiderCon 2023 by Katie Black and Megan MacLean and it is packed with info! In this episode A four prong approach to brand identit…
359: Vala's Cider for their 300,000 Annual Visitors | Nebraska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:56
The Vala Family's Business Model Tim Vala had a vision over 39 years ago to build a destination for family fun. It started with a Upick strawberry patch that grew into a pumpking patch, orchard. It then evolved into kid…