461 RAW Levi Danielson

461 RAW Levi Danielson

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 28, 2025 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 story is one of wild ferments, place-based cider, and planting for the future – both in Oregon and back home.

461 Levi Danielson of RAW Cider Pouring a glass
Levi Danielson

Building RAW Cider

Levi's path began in microbiology and health policy before a leap to France introduced him to wild fermentation and orchard life. After interning and later leading production at Dragon's Head Cider in Washington, Levi launched RAW Cider in 2020 with méthode champenoise ciders that quietly matured during the pandemic.

Since then, RAW Cider has:

  • Opened a year-round tasting room on an orchard in Dayton, Oregon
  • Earned gold and silver medals for its first releases
  • Focused on native yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and orchard-first practices
  • Planted and top-grafted cider and perry fruit in both Oregon and Minnesota

Pear Ambitions and a Regional Vision

Levi's passion for perry is central to RAW Cider. With 60-year-old pear trees, now top worked with perry pear varieties and wild seedlings grafted in the Mississippi River Valley, plus collaborations in Hood River, he's betting on American perry's future.

He believes Hood River could become the "Domfrontais of the U.S."—a new home for pear-driven sparkling ciders that mirrors the pear region in Normandy, France.

Listen to episode 313: Wild Yeast Fermentations | CiderCon 2022 featuring a panel discussion with Levi Danielson

Contact info for RAW

Mentions 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
069: Marlene Sofia Sousa Araújo |Araújo Monte, Portugal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:40
Araújo Monte, Lda is Portugal's first commercial cidery for the country that borders Spain and its million of Sidra drinking fans. Marlene Sofia Sousa Araújo whom I speak to in this chat, with the help of Anzu Fernandez…
068: Hello Chicago | 20 Chat's w/Cider Enthusiasts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:17
This week's cider podcast episode is a mini recap of Chicago Cider Week events, CiderCon, and 20 chats w/Cider Enthusiasts including recordings from the The Northman on February 7, 2017. 20 chats! Dang that was amazing.…
067: Llorenç Frigola | Mooma cidery, Catalonia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:39
Cider Chat will be at the Chicago Cider Summit February 11, 2017 Llorenç Frigola of Mooma cidery, in the Catalonia province of Girona is an Agricultural Engineer by trade who works with a fruit cooperative that has been…
066: Luis Ravina Pisaca |Posma cidery, Canary Islands: Tenerife [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:14
Cider Chat at The Northman (Chicago Cider Bar) February 7, 2017 at 4:30pm Stop on by and let's chat! I have a list of fun cider topics to chat with you for an upcoming podcast. Cider Chat at Chicago Cider Summit February…
065: Brian Rutzen | The Northman, Chicago's 1st Cider Bar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:16
February 7, 2017 at 4:30pm Cider Chat at The Northman recording chats with patrons on Cider Stories! Brian Rutzen is the Cider Director at Chicago's first cider bar, The Northman managing 20 taps of cider, 5 craft beers…
064: Bartosz Gałka| Slow Flow Group, Poland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:27
Bartosz Gałka is one of three partner at the Polish cidery "Slow Flow Group". Along with Łukasz Sobór, Jakub Lorek and Jakub's father,Marcin Lorek, who makes wine and consults to this project they are helping to put Poli…
063: Alvar Roosimaa | Jaanihanso cidery, Estonia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:46
Alvar Roosimaa turned towards cidermaking after deciding to move out of the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. He bought a country house approximately an hour and a half to the south Tallinn with his wife Veronika. It was at t…
062: Anzu Fernández, MD | La Sidra, Asturias [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:39
Anzu Fernández has been selected as Cider Chat's pick for the Sexiest Cider Dude of 2017! picture credit: La Sidra Anzu Fernández doing a classic long pour This title is not given freely nor is it due to the fact that As…
061: Musée du Poiré | Normandy France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:14
See all the videos of the Musée du Poiré by visiting the Cider Chat YouTube Channel The Maison de la Pomme et Poire (House of apple and Pear) was created in 1983 in Barenton by the Normandy-Maine Regional Nature Park. In…
060: Nicole Todd | Santa Cruz Cider Company, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:00
Scrumping, gluten intolerance and the ingenuity of two sisters helped launched Santa Cruz Cider Company in 2010 and licensed in 2013. Scrumping: Taking apples from a forgotten orchard and one that is owned by someone els…