450th Roger Wilkins - The Cider King

450th Roger Wilkins - The Cider King

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 12, 2025 Duration: 52:01

Looking back at Season 9 and Forward with Roger Wilkins

In this season ending episode we visit Roger Wilkins at his Lands End Farm.

Totally Cider Tour UK- Roger Wilkins
Cider King – Roger Wilkins

Roger Wilkins, is known globally as the "Cider King," and is a legendary figure in Somerset cider-making. He has been running Wilkins' Cider Farm in Mudgley since taking over from his grandfather in 1969. Renowned for his traditional methods, Roger ferments locally grown bittersweet apples in oak barrels, producing unfiltered, unsweetened farmhouse cider. His no-nonsense style and commitment to authenticity have made Wilkins' Cider Farm a pilgrimage site for cider enthusiasts world wide.

Though he has mentioned plans to scale down production, Roger was carrying buckets of apples into the cidery when Ria visited him in October of 2024. This episode features Roger discussing the difficulty for farmers and working with what he calls "Pen Floaters".

Season 9 Recap

Throughout this episode you will hear guest from Season 9, which started with Episode #401. From Chile, the UK, France and Eastern Europe and throughout the U.S.A., Cider Chat has featured guests who both make cider, promote cider, provide leadership for cider and enjoy cider.

With this episode 450 of Cider Chat we are showcasing the oral history of cider in 2025.

So grab a glass and Join the Chat, as we ring out one season and prepare for the next!

Mentioned in this Cider Chat


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
227 The Color of Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:57
The Color of Cider provides a snap shot of an early practices used to deter black farmers gaining true equality and the difficulties facing African Americans today who may view farming as a step back to the plantation. W…
226: Northern Spy and the Underground Railroad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:14
Northern Spy is a short story that weaves the tale of the early grafting of the apple known as the Northern Spy, Quaker values, and the Underground Railroad. Read and written by Ryan Monkman, for the new Cider Chat segme…
225: Terroir Spotlight | western Massachusetts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:25
New England was the Plymouth Rock of cider in the US for the colonist and western Massachusetts is the launch pad of the modern day US cider market. It was here in 1984 that West County Cider and The Maloney family rekin…
224: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:25
What is Flor aka Film Yeast and can the cider be saved? It's all in Part 4 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listener…
223: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:21
Discover two cidermaking techniques that are also used in winemaking, called Maderisation and Bâtonnage. We delve into both of these topics in Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of F…
222: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:53
Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" continues with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners on working with oak barrels. Listen Part 1 of the Quaran…
221: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Pt1 Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
"Ask Ryan" features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact…
220: Can Sorbs Save the World? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
This is a continuation of our conversation with Arnould Narzain of Paris. Listen to Part 1 in episode 218: Sorbs not Sulfites Arnould Narzain with a drop backdrop of Sorbs In this episode Arnould shares even more attribu…
CCL: NY Cider Association | Ex Dir. S.Ramsey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:33
Bonus Cider Chat Live with the New York Cider Association's Scott Ramsey Scott Ramsey stepped into his role as Executive Director of the New York Cider Association on March 1, 2020. New York State was soon to become the…
219: Sorbs Not Sulfites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:06
Sorbus Domestica enthusiast Arnould Narazian of Paris France, shares his knowledge and passion for this King of all Pommes. This "Service Tree's wood was used for wooden screws used in wine presses and the fruit to help…