307:  Gary Flowers & Diane Flynt | CiderCon2022 Keynotes

307: Gary Flowers & Diane Flynt | CiderCon2022 Keynotes

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist February 16, 2022 Duration: 50:29

Keynote Speakers of CiderCon 2022

Gary Flowers is a keynote speaker, radio host and the tour guide who leads the Jackson Ward history tour. The tour was one of a number of pre-conference tour offerings for CiderCon2022 attendees who had flocked to the city of Richmond, Virginia in the first week of February. The food and cider was abundantly delicious, with stops at the wildly popular restaurant MamaJ's and Cheddar Jackson.  But it was Flowers who really stole the show and kept our small group riveted with fact after fact on the history of the Jackson Ward community.

Cider Chat Gary Flowers 200x300 ep 307 Gary Flowers

In this episode hear the beginning of the tour with Gary Flowers.

Contact for Gary Flowers

In Part 2 of Keynotes from CiderCon 2022

Diane Flynt provides the opening keynote for CiderCon 2022 and encouraged the audience to embrace the story of Apples! Hear in this episode her full keynote address!

Cider Chat diane Flynt 200x300 ep 307 Diane Flynt

A bit about Diane Flynt via the American Cider Association website

"Diane began in 1997 when she founded Foggy Ridge Cider, the first licensed cidery in the South, by planting cider apples, including many southern varieties. From 2004-2018 Foggy Ridge Cider produced 5300 gallons a year of orchard-focused ciders that was distributed across 15 states.

Since its first production, Foggy Ridge Cider gained a national reputation for high quality cider. Foggy Ridge was featured on CBS Sunday Morning Show, and in publications including GourmetImbibeSaveurGarden & GunEsquire and Martha Stewart Living. Food & Wine magazine named Foggy Ridge a "Small Batch Superstar" in 2010. MADE: In America awarded Foggy Ridge a 2012 American Treasurer's Award, recognition for artisan producers. Foggy Ridge Cider received many "best of" awards, including a top rating from the New York Times for its Serious Cider blend.

Flynt herself was nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Beverage Professional in 2015 and 2016, and was a finalist for this award in 2017 and 2018. She speaks on cider, farming and food culture in national and regional forums."

Contact Foggy Ridge Cider

Website: https://foggyridgecider.com/

2 Cider Chat Maggie Lena Walker 200x300 ep 307 Maggie Lena Walker Statue - a key heroine of Jackson Ward

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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.
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