459: The Apple Finch's Pet-Nats at de Groote Wei Cider | Netherlands

459: The Apple Finch's Pet-Nats at de Groote Wei Cider | Netherlands

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 14, 2025 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 Netherlands near Arnhem, the farm spans 16 hectares and has long produced dessert apples and pears.

Cider Chat Ep 459 Sophie Horstink de Groote Wei
Sophie Horstink

The Horstink family market is well-known and is a go-to place for locals to shop and would be considered a grocery store.

She released her first cider in 2022. The early response was enthusiastic, selling out quickly and prompting her to scale production. She now ferments around 5,000 liters annually in what is called the 'cider cave" on the family farm.

De Groote Wei's Ciders

Cider Chat Ep 459 cider garden de Groote Wei
cider garden
  • Appel Vink (Apple Finch)
    • ABV: 6.5%
    • Notes: Lightly sparkling with fresh acidity and a hint of sourness. Made entirely from eating apples including ElstarJonagold, and Belle de Boskoop.
  • Groente Vink (Green Finch)
    • ABV: 6.5%
    • Notes: A blend of apples as used in the Appel Finch and 30% Conference pears. Also bottle-conditioned, this cider has a rounder mouthfeel and delicate fruit aromatics.

Contact info for De Groote Wei

Cider Chat Ep 459 Farm shop at de Groote Wei
Family Farm shop

Mentions in this Cider Chat

  • VT & NY Cider Road Trip
  • Totally Cider Tours
  • SpaceTime Mead and Cider Works set to close June 22, 2025 – listen to the Space Time episode 288 with Dan Schreffler

Support this podcast by becoming a patron!


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: 100

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
480: Holiday Cider Gift Guide 2025 and Playing with Pommeau [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:36
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:32 French Pronunciation Fun 02:27 Holiday Gift Ideas for 2025 02:59 Cider Chat News and Updates 04:42 Listener Stories and Experiences 07:49 Upcoming UK Cider Tour 2026 12:47 Fe…
479: New York Cider Fest | Audio Snapshots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:45
New York Cider Fest 2025 brought together makers and enthusiasts for an unforgettable day at City Winery Manhattan. In this special collection of on-the-floor recordings, Cider Chat® captures Audio Snap Shots with festiv…
478: Pommeau: What Happens When a French Classic Lands on U.S. Labels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:18
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…
477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:38
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;…
476: Be Medieval, Rack that Cider| Secondary Fermentation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:18
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…
473: Tiny Bubbles | How to Make a Pét Nat Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:53
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…
471: Cider Tourism 101 | Newton Court, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:50
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…