347: High Desert Apples | Calico Cidery, CA

347: High Desert Apples | Calico Cidery, CA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 7, 2022 Duration: 1:04:35

Everything is Right Side Up at Calico

The logo of Calico Cidery might be an upside down apple drawn to look like an apple tree, but the setting, the people, orchard and the cider is all right side up and slamming it! Located in the high desert region of San Diego to the east of the county is a lone road that brings you up to Julian California which is a bustling apple town.

Calico sits at 38oo feet while Julian is up at 4200 feet, making it a high desert region where apples and the people are living the good life in what feels like a bit of an oasis after driving through the rough scrabble land of the desert below.

347 Calico Mural 200x300

Mural by the road out front of Calico Cidery

 

In this Chat

Ian Wright is the head cidermaker and brings us through a compliment of ciders while we chat about the history of the orchard.

  • Planted in 1920 - the orchard is long stem trees
  • At one time it was mainly a U-Pick orchard
  • Now owned by a family who is also making cider in Paso Robles California
  • What is dry farming apples

347 feature Ian Wright 200x300

Ian Wright

Ciders tasted in during this Chat

  • Field Blend
    • Jona Gold & Winesap  (9.0%)

  • Devil's Punch Bowl (8.0%)
    • a blend of apples, pears, persimmon and guavas
  • Wild ferments with no sulfites added
  • Always 4 Calico Ciders on tap
  • Everything made is sold on tap
  • Destination cidery and region
  • Single Varietals made at Calico
    • Winesap
    • Northern Spy
    • Jona Gold
    • Ida Red

347 After hours Calico Crew

Hanging with the after hours Cider and Calvados Crew at Calico

When visiting Calico and Julian

  • Take a cider and walk about the orchard at Calico
  • Make sure to have enough time to also hang at the bar and take in the slow life.
  • Say hi to Eric the bartender
  • Stay at the Julian Hotel
  • Grab a soup and half sandwich for lunch at Soups and Such Cafe
  • Nead a hefty dinner? Try Romano's Restaurant
  • Bring pie to the family or friends back home from the many apple pie bakeries in town
  • Visit the other local cideries

Contact info for Calico Cidery

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
189: Put Cider in the Penny | SILO Distillery, VT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:02
Put Cider in the Penny was recorded at SILO Distillery in Windsor, Vermont in August of 2019. I had been wanting to catch up with Nicole LeGrande Leibon, every since she moved on from making cider at Farnum Hill Cider in…
188: Cider & Wine Safari w/Randall Grahm at Popelouchum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:16
Before our Popelouchum Safari, hear about... Two New Cider Zines We begin with an overview of Graftwood and Full Juice, two new cider zines out of the United Kingdom. Graftwood is a subscription based quarterly whereas F…
187: We Want More Cider! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:23
"We Want More Cider" was clearly the take away heard from cider enthusiasts attending the annual Hard Core Cider Tour held in Santa Cruz, California June 27, 2019. Sipping Syndicate's Albert Martinez spearheaded the Hard…
186: "Just Fucking Fermented Juice" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:28
"Just Fucking Fermented Juice" is splayed out in big white letter across the back of Krista Scruggs' black hoodie. The slogan both amuses and taunts gawkers. Krista wore the hoodie with slogan while attending the annual…
185: Who are the Pomme Boots? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
Who are the Pomme Boots? The Pomme Boots Society was founded in 2015 an organization for women working in the cider industry. The first meet up of Pommes Boots was at CiderCon2016 held in Portland, Oregon. This episode w…
184: Judging Best in Show | BigE 2019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
The feature on cider judging in this week's episode begins at 9:43 minutes. The 7th annual BigE Cider and Perry competition took place on June 8, 2019. There were 6 cider judges and this episode features the judging of t…
183: Normandy Cider Trail Tips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:02
Normandy Cider Trail Tips Annie Sargent is the Producer and Host of a fantastic and informative podcast for anyone thinking about traveling to France called "Join Us in France Travel Podcast". In this episode, Annie and…
182: Traditional Straw Pressed Cider | Sanford Orchards, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:17
Discover traditional straw pressing of cider at Sandford Orchards with Barny Butterfield based in Devon. Traditional Straw Pressing Notes: The press is made up with a combination of thatching reeds. If you are familiar w…
181: The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:49
The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now This chat with Susanna and James Forbes was recorded at CiderCon2019, the annual trade conference hosted by the American Cider Association known at that time as the Unite…
180: Cider Is Wine | Simon Day, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:21
180: Cider Is Wine | Simon Day of Once Upon a Tree, UK This chat was recorded at CiderCon2019 in Chicago. Simon Day and I did not speak directly on the topic of the "Cider is Wine" debate, but I do suspect that his early…