246: Becoming Pomona

246: Becoming Pomona

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist November 11, 2020 Duration: 1:02:54

Becoming Pomona was recorded at the 25th Franklin County CiderDays in November of 2019.

The goal of this pomona panel discussion was to share personal stories on the inspirational effect of CiderDays on women in the cider industry, specifically the following women:

  • CiderDays co-founder Judith Maloney of West County Cider. Judith was crowned Queen Pomona the night prior to this panel discussion

Judith Maloney | West County Cider Judith Maloney | West County Cider

Autumn Stoscheck, Autumn Stoscheck, Even's Cidery

  • Ria Windcaller - Cider Chat & Totally Cider Tours

Ria at Bulk Cider, Franklin County CiderDays Ria at Bulk Cider

  • April Woodard - Panel moderator, Cidermaker, and CiderDays Committee

April Woodard April Woodard

April moderated this talk, with Judith speaking first, then Autumn, Ria and April.

Below are two 2 Key quotes from Judith on CiderDays and Cider that absolutely says it all:

Referring back to CiderDays.

"People loved their cider no matter what it tasted like."

And on the impact of this event moving forward,

"We created more than something that is drunk - it is in the spirit."

In 2020, due to the coronavirus 19, a Cider Trail was created for western Massachusetts and the Berkshires. The trail extended the offerings that usually took place just on one weekend expanding it over October into the new year.

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
338: Audio Snap Shots from French Cider Tour | Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:24
Normandy to Brittany on the French Cider Tour The 2022 French Cider Tour that took travelers from across North America on a trip of a life time was a trip of a life time. Not only were the apple and pear trees laden with…
337:  Étienne Dupont on Tasting Calvados | Domaine Dupont [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:27
Calvados with Étienne Dupont | Domaine Dupont Étienne Dupont took over the Domaine Familial Etienne Dupont in the Pays d'Auge region of Normandy France from his father Louis and grandfather Jules in 1980. Episode 098: Jé…
336: Cider Yeast Choices with Fermentis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:47
Fermentis Offers 4 Cider Yeast for Makers Anne Flesch Regional Sales Manager and Technical Sales Support Manager at Fermentis helps us sort through the magical world of yeast and fermenting cider. And she also address 3…
335: Josiah Bartlett Apple Brandy | Flag Hill Winery & Distillery, NH [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:44
New Hampshire's Oldest Distillery | Flag Hill Brian Ferguson is a Pennsylvania native who came to Flag Hill via the Cayman Island and ever since both he and his wife Maggie have continued to transform what was once a far…
334: Laird's & Co. Apple Jack & Brandy Barrel Aging | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:08
How the Laird Family honed the making of Apple Jack In Part 1 of this two part series on Laird's & Company, we met with 9th generation Lisa Laird Dunn. Lisa is the COO and Global Ambassador of this family business. In th…
333: Laird's Apple Distilling History 1698 - 2022 | Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:24
America's Oldest Distillery is Laird's & Company Lisa Laird Dunn and Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller had a sit down chat at the main offices of Laird's & Company in Scobyville, New Jersey. They met in what was once the Lair…
332: Cider Planet (2022) w/author Claude Jolicoeur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:44
The inspiration behind Cider Planet With author Claude Jolicoeur on this newest book that is being released on September 23, 2022. Claude has authored to previous books on cider. Du pommier au cidre The New Cider Maker's…
331: Bodacious Ciders, Cookbook & Treats | Carr's Ciderhouse, MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
Nicole Blum of Carr's Ciderhouse will be one of 6 celebrated women in cider speaking at the November 5th Cider Dinner at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the Cider Dinner go live on September 3, 2022. S…
330: Let's Go To Apple Camp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:30
CiderDays 2.0 ~ November 4th & 5th, 2022 at Hawks and Reed Performing Art Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Sign up now for the eCiderNews to receive notifications to your in box on CiderDays 2.0 schedule of events an…
329: Cider Heroine Judith Maloney  | West County Cider, MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:23
CiderDays 2.0 Cider Dinner on November 5, 2022 with 6 outstanding women producers from the east coast at the Hawks and Reed Performing Art Center in Greenfield, Massashusetts. Dine with Judith Maloney of West County Cide…