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
448: Cider Institute: New Name, New Reach, and More Cider Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:31
The Cider Institute: Training the Next Generation of Cider Makers The Cider Institute, formerly known as the Cider Institute of North America (CINA), is the premier resource for cider education. Founded in 2016 at CiderC…
446: Monica Cohen, the New CEO of the American Cider Association [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
Monica Cohen on Leading the ACA Monica Cohen, the new CEO of the American Cider Association (ACA), stepped into her role at CiderCon 2025 in Chicago. With a background in dairy marketing and a passion for helping craft i…
445: Unspoken Creed | Stories in Ciderville /Denmark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
An Unspoken Creed By Sune Kroghansen Enjoy this special Story in Ciderville from Denmark! "Roedding The restart of the cider adventure in Rødding. In the mid-00s, the villagers of Rødding had begun making cider. It faded…
444: Worleys and Honey's: Somerset Cider Makers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:07
A sit down Cider Chat with the makers behind Worleys and Honey's Cider! Neil Worley was last on this podcast back in 2016 on episode 26! He and Ria met up at CiderCon which was being held that year in Portland Oregon. Ne…
442: Bob Cork: 40 Years in Cider | Shepton Mallet, England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:03
Bob Cork's Cider Career Bob Cork Bob Cork has 40 years of experience in cider making, starting in 1980. Initially an apprentice engineer, he transitioned to cider making, thanks to his engineering background. He now work…
441: Wilding Cider and the Rural Method | Somerset, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:21
Wilding Cider, founded by Sam and Beccy Leach in 2019, uses Regenerative farming practices and a "rural method" to cider making. Based in Somerset the culinary skills of Sam blend with Beccy's Sommelier palate. Their ded…
440: Jane Peyton Keynote |Hereford AppleFest Banquet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:55
Jane Peyton, author of The Philosophy of Cider and founder of the School of Booze, brings her deep knowledge of cider and its cultural history to the forefront in this enlightening conversation. Jane Peyton at Hereford A…
439: The Night Before the Holiday Pressing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
The magic of Ciderville awaits you. In this special holiday episode, Cider Chat invites you to step into the enchanting world of the Talking Pommes. The Night Before the Holiday Pressing is more than just a story—it's a…