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
468: Foraging Flavor: Pierrepont Cider | NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
Cider Maker and Founder Lee Van DeWater of Pierrepont Cider shares his story in this episode on how he is forages apples to share a taste of terroir from New York's North Country. Lee Van DeWater Foraging Apples for Cide…
467: Canton Apples and Frosty Twig: New York Cider Makers Unite [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:13
How Canton Apples and Frosty Twig Fused Two Brands into One In New York's "North of Upstate" region, in the town of Canton is the Canton Apples production building. It is now also home of a partnership shaping the local…
466: Growing Cold-Hardy Trees at Saint Lawrence Nursery | NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:06
A Century of Cold-Hardy Trees Saint Lawrence Nursery in Potsdam, NY, has been helping cold-climate growers find success since the 1920s. Originally founded by Fred Ashworth and later expanded by Bill MacKentley, the nurs…
464: Czech Cider: From Roadside Apples to Cellar Ferments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:01
A conversation with Czech Cider Fan Dan Samek This episode brings us to the heart of Europe by way of Vermont. Ria sat down with Dan Samek, a cider enthusiast and home distiller from Prague, to talk about the evolving ci…
463: Zydeco Meadery: Fermenting Roots from Trinidad to New England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:00
Eric Depradine of Zydeco Meadery crafts mead with Heart, Honey, and Heritage As securing permission, Eric was able to start his fermentation journey in high school with a science project using cane juice. That spark stay…
462: Cider in a Cathedral of Opulence | The Newt, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:43
A Digital Media Empire Embraces Cider at The Newt The Newt in Somerset is a world-class estate blending cider-making, luxury hospitality, and horticultural excellence. The estate is owned by South African owners Karen Ro…
461 RAW Levi Danielson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
Levi Danielson is the founder and cider maker at RAW Cider, based in Dayton, Oregon. With roots in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and a cidery nestled among cider apples and pears in the Willamette Valley, Levi's stor…
460: James B. Forbes on Little Pomona's Ciders & Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:47
An intimate sit down with James Forbes of Little Pomona to talk about grief of losing his wife and business partner Susanna Forbes, the growth of the cidery, and the evolving identity of one this select cidery. Rememberi…
459: The Apple Finch's Pet-Nats at de Groote Wei Cider | Netherlands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:43
Fourth-Generation Farmer, First-Generation Cidermaker Sophie Horstink of De Groote Wei, which means The Great Meadow in Dutch, is crafting Dutch cider as a value added project at her family's farm. Located in the eastern…