Collaboration Meets Ingenuity at Heartland Ciderworks
This episode is packed with insights for anyone interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship and craft cider-making. In Episode 427 of Cider Chat, Eliseo Bell-Uribe shares his story as a young entrepreneur and how and why he founded Heartland Ciderworks.
Practical Advice for Cider Startups: Learning to Collaborate
Starting a cidery from scratch is no easy task. The Eliseo shares practical advice on how to navigate the hurdles of zoning issues, sourcing equipment, and finding the right partnerships. By collaborating with a local winery, Heartland was able to sidestep some of the common challenges faced by new cideries, such as acquiring expensive equipment and navigating complex regulations.
For budding cider makers, this episode offers a blueprint for how to creatively solve problems and make the most of available resources. Whether it's building your own bottling setup or finding a winery willing to do custom crush, the key takeaway is to stay flexible and open to collaboration.
A Closer Look at Heartland's Ciders
Heartland Ciderworks may be a young company, but their lineup of ciders is anything but ordinary. Here's a quick look at the ciders discussed in the episode:
Avalon
Description: Heartland's flagship cider that combines Foxwhelp, Golden Russet, Yarlington Mill, and Dabinett apples.
ABV: 7.7%
Notes: Features a beautiful orange hue with a balance of tannins and acidity.
Little Apple
Description: A low-alcohol cider kin made with rehydrated pomace and back-sweetened with Golden Russet and Foxwhelp.
ABV: 3.65%
Notes: Easy-drinking with a light and refreshing profile.
Cooper
Description: A bourbon barrel-aged cider made primarily from Sweet Alford apples.
ABV: 6.4%
Notes: Rich with subtle bourbon notes, this cider is a limited-edition favorite, but more Cooper is in the cue!
Heart of the Valley
Description: A community-foraged cider made with apples gathered from the Salem area, benefiting the local Boys and Girls Club.
ABV: 5.75%
Notes: A modern cider with a sweeter profile and a beautiful can design.
Olive Branch
Description: A Newtown Pippin cider aged on olive leaves, offering a unique bitterness similar to hops.
Notes: A one-of-a-kind cider with complex aromas and a distinctive flavor profile.
Rosé Cider (Upcoming Release)
Description: A co-ferment of red-fleshed apples with Pinot Noir grape skins, lightly oaked for added tannin.
Enjoying the stories brought to you by Cider Chat? Help keep these stories rolling out by supporting the podcast by becoming a patron. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air, allowing us to continue bringing you inspiring stories like this one.
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.
What is Pommeau? Pommeau is a: fortified blend of fresh apple must (unfermented) and apple brandy (typically Calvados in Normandy or Lambig in Brittany). The unfermented apple juice and brandy are combined before ferment…
Learn how to pick the right Cider and Perry for every dish on the Thanksgiving table. This week we are not chasing brand names. We are building flavor intuition. Consider Thanksgiving not as one single taste on a plate;…
How to clarify, stabilize, and finish cider the right way The Purpose of Secondary Fermentation when Making Cider Once the apple juice has started fermented and it is now slowing down, it is time to rack over your cider…
Perry making has deep roots in Gloucestershire, stretching back to the 17th century when French wine imports were cut off during the Napoleonic Wars. Local farmers turned to their own fruit, and the rich soils around Har…
At the base of Burrow Hill life moves at the pace of apples and oak. Here, Julian and daughter Matilda Temperley are testment to the value of family for carry a business such as cider and brandy forward into the next 100…
What makes a Pét Nat cider sparkle naturally and how is it connected to the rural method you might have heard about in the UK? In this episode, we take a practical look at: What Pét Nat cider is and how it relates to the…
A Toast to Perry and Place Enjoy an intimate recording from the 2025 Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition. This unforgettable evening featured James Forbes of Little Pomona, leading guests through a cider dinner pairing in the…
Newton Court Cider began as a 30-acre farm selling apples to Bulmers. When the market changed, Paul Stephens turned those same orchards into a modern day cider business. Front view of Newton Court's restaurant and visito…
In October 2024, Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller recorded with Tom Vowles of Hedger Cider and Ben Crossman in Somerset. Initially, the two recordings felt like separate brand stories. Then, nearly a year later to the day as…
UK Cider Tour 2025 Audio Snap Shots Wallace and Ria in Bristol In this Episode 469 of Cider Chat, we brings listeners inside the UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 through the voices of the guests who joined. From Somerset, Glou…
