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
429: Cider Tour Recap France 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:32
Find Highlights & Tips in This French Cider Tour Recap! The 2024 cider tour to Paris, Normandy, Brittany and Domfrontais was an absolute success! With guest from the United States, Canada and Hungary the makers in France…
428: Winchester Ciderworks: English Inspiration and Virginia Apples [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:26
From Suffolk to Virginia: Stephen Schuurman's Cider Journey In Episode 428 of Cider Chat, we meet Stephen Schuurman, owner and cider maker at Winchester Ciderworks in Winchester, Virginia. Originally from Suffolk, Englan…
427: Under 30 Startup Ingenuity | Heartland Cideworks, OR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:47
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-U…
426: Red Island Cider: Crafting Stories in Every Bottle | PEI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:30
Discover Red Island Cider on Prince Edward Island Guest podcaster Al Saxs interviews Red Island Cider owner and maker Robert van Waarden in this episode 426 of Cider Chat. Red Island Cider is located on Canada's reknown…
425: Babycham to Triple Vintage – The Showering's Cider Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:55
The Showering name is synonymous with both innovation and tradition in the world of cider for the past 187 years. In this Episode 425 of Cider Chat, Nick Showering shares a bit on his family's cider-making roots that str…
424: Master Class on Apple Phenotyping w/John Bunker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:40
Apple Phenotyping: The Tools Every Orchardist Needs In Episode 424 of Cider Chat, we dive deeper into the intricate world of apple identification, this time focusing on apple phenotyping — the art and science of describi…
423:  Apple Id 101 w/John Bunker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:05
In Episode 423 of Cider Chat, we delve into the fascinating world of apple identification a.k.a. Apple Id with the one and only John Bunker, a renowned author and the c0-founder of FEDCO Trees, Maine Organic Farmers and…
422: John Bunker Keynote on Orchards and Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:22
New York Apple Camp Keynote Address by John Bunker In a captivating keynote from the 2023 New York Apple Camp, John Bunker, the founder of FEDCO Trees and renowned author on apple identification, shared his profound conn…
421: Explore the Rich History of Chilean Cider w/Punta de Fierro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:18
Eli Shanks' of Punta de Fierro Fine Cider In this episode meet Eli Shanks, a passionate cider maker sharing his journey from urban Massachusetts to the picturesque landscapes of Chile, where he co-founded Punta de Fierro…
420: Books, Cider, Cheesecake | Cider Chat Live [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:41
Basque Cheesecake and Santa Cruz Cider Cider Chat Live brings you a tasting of a celebratory cider from Santa Cruz Cider Company paires with a what is called Basque Cheesecake! Basque Cheesecake is much less dense than c…