Oregon Cider Week!

Oregon Cider Week starts in 1 week. Are you excited? We are and we just added 4 more events. http://ow.ly/bBoBC #orciderweek #nwcider

From the Puget Sound Food Network / Northwest Ag Business Center

NABC has offered classes in hard cider production since 2009. Recently, though, hard cider is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds (see articles, below).  Domestic cider production has increased from 1.2 million gallons in 2010 to 2.5 million gallons in 2011, and Washington state produced nearly two hundred thousand gallons of cider in 2011.

In 2011 NABC, in partnership with Washington State University and Northwest Cider Association, received a  Specialty Crop Block Grant from the USDA, giving a boost to the emerging hard cider industry in the region.  The grant has been used to support cider research, education and marketing, including the various cider courses NABC offers: Orchard Management: Cider Fruit Production; and Cider Making: Principles and Practice (including two parts — An Understanding of Cider & Perry; and Practical production of Cider & Perry). Through this course, NABC also offers a gateway for amateur cider makers to earn a NACM Certification from the National Association of Cider Makers.

Registration is currently open for the following classes and courses:

Orchard Management classes with Gary Moulton • June 23rd and July 28th. This course will discuss the basics of tree fruit production, with a focus on cider and dessert varieties. Topics will include rootstock, nutrient management, pest management, irrigation, orchard layout planting, pruning, and harvest techniques.
Cider Making Principles and Practice PART 1 ONLY – An Understanding of Cider & Perry with Peter Mitchell • June 25 & 26 OR July 23 & 24 This course will provide students with a broad understanding of cider & perry, the cider industry, and the principles & practices of cider production.
Save the date for Advanced Cider & Perry Production with Peter Mitchell on December 10 – 14, 2012 This course will provide an in-depth understanding of cider microbiology, chemistry, sensory evaluation and technology.  Product development, marketing, and operating a successful cider business will also be addressed.

For more information or to register, visit the Northwest Agriculture Business Center website or contact Carolyn Goodrich: carolyn.goodrich@agbizcenter.org or 360-336-3727

Click here to see photos of our June 2010 cider courses

A press release about the cider project was distributed by WSU Communications and enjoyed robust press coverage, including the WSU newsletter On Solid Ground, Capital Press, The Missoulian, Seattle Times and more. NABC’s Executive Director David Bauermeister even coordinated an appearance on KCPQ Q13 local television news on March 13.  Sharing the television spotlight was Jonathan Roozen representing WSU and Sharon Campbell of Tieton Cider Works representing the Northwest Cider Association. Their joint appearance highlighted cider research, production, availability and a growing market for cider in the northwest. Here’s a toast to good cider press!

Here are more recent articles about Washington’s burgeoning hard cider industry:

Cider makers tout fruit ciders at wine event | Seattle Times | April 1, 2012
Federal grants reach specialty crops | Capital Press | January 5, 2012
Tasting Notes: Washington’s Hard Ciders | Seattle Magazine | September 2010

Peterson Cheese, SBS Imports and Quinn’s present the ONLY cider festival of this year’s Seattle Beer Week. As most know, handcrafted ciders are on the up and up- but as some may NOT know, hard cider and cheese is one of the best food pairings on the planet.

Five different cider houses (Aspall, JK Scrumpys, Tieton, Wandering Aengus, Westcott Bay) will be representing ten different styles of handcrafted ciders with as many artisanal cheeses on hand with which to pair. Meet some of these brilliant new cider masters and allow experienced cheese mongers to guide you on an exploration of some of the best cheeses available in the city.

$20 (plus tax) presale or $25 at the door. Limited availability.

Please contact Quinn’s for reservations. 206.325.7711

An excerpt from the Peninsula Daily News Online.

Two North Olympic Peninsula businesses have changed their names after a Chicago-based restaurant chain threatened to sue over copyright infringement.

The Wildfire Grill at 929 W. Eighth St. in Port Angeles is now LD’s Woodfire Grill, though the sign may remain the same for a while.

And Wildfire Cider of 220 Pocket Lane in Port Townsend is now officially Alpenfire Cider.

The owners of both businesses said they are perplexed as to why they were told by Wildfire Restaurants — a steak and seafood restaurant chain with locations in Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia and Virginia, but none in Washington — to change their names or face litigation.

Read the entire article at Peninsula Daily News Online.

Congratulations are due for our member cidermakers who were awarded medals in last week’s 6th Annual Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition.  Here are the categories we placed in and how our folks did.

Category 27a – Common Cider (35 Total Entries)
Silver    Snowdrift Cider Company    Cliffbreaks Blend    Washington
Bronze    Snowdrift Cider Company    Orchard Select    Washington

Category 27b – English Cider  (19 Total Entries)
Gold    Tulip Valley Winery    Red Barn Fire Barrel Cider    Washington
Silver    Tieton Cider Works    Blossom Nectar    Washington
Silver    San Juan Island Distillery    Westcott Bay Traditional Very Dry    Washington
Silver    San Juan Island Distillery    Westcott Bay Traditional Dry    Washington
Bronze    San Juan Island Distillery    Westcott Bay Traditional Medium Sweet    Washington
Bronze    Tieton Cider Works    Tieton Blend Cider    Washington
Bronze    Snowdrift Cider Company    Dry Cider    Washington

Category 27c – French Cider  (4 Total Entries)
Bronze    Finnriver Cidery    Artisan Sparkling Cider    Washington

Category 28a – New England Cider (2 Total Entries)
Silver    Snowdrift Cider Company    Semi-Dry Cider    Washington

Category 28b – Fruit Cider (16 Total Entries)
Bronze    Tieton Cider Works    Cherry Cider    Washington

Category 28d – Specialty Cider (19 Total Entries)
Bronze    Alpenfire Cider    Pirate’s Plank-Bone Dry    Washington

Category 2006-2b  Intensified Cider – Postfermentation (Pommeau) (9 Total Entries)
Silver    Finnriver Cidery    Spirited Apple Wine    Washington

Category 2006-3a  Distilled – Eau de vie (5 Total Entries)
Gold    San Juan Island Distillery    Apple Eau de vie    Washington

Let the cider tasting season begin again!

On Sunday April 3rd from 1-3 PM there will be a cider tasting event at Bottleworks in the Wallingford neighborhood  of Seattle. 4 of our Northwest Cider Association cidermaker members will be pouring. Alpenfire Cider, Finnriver Cidery, Red Barn Cider, and Tieton CiderWorks.

Last year’s tasting at Bottlworks was a really great time. If you are in the area drop by and meet some of fabulous NW cidermakers and taste some of their delicious craft ciders!

For more information please visit the Bottleworks Blog, or follow Bottleworks on Twitter.

Sunday March 27th is Taste Washington’s Grand Tasting at Qwest Field Event Center and a handful of our Northwest Cider Association Cidermakers will be there representing cider and pouring their wares. This is one of the wine events of the year to attend and we are proud to be included amongst Washington’s finest winemakers.

For information on purchasing Taste Washington tickets and event schedules visit their website @ http://tastewashington.org/

Here is a list of our cidermakers that will be there and exactly what they will be pouring.

Eaglemount Wine & Cider; Ginger Cider

Finnriver; Artisan Dry Cider, Spirited Apple Fruit Wine, Apple Blueberry Cider, Apple Blueberry Cider

Snowdrift Cider Company; Dry Cider, Semi-Dry Cider, Cliffbreaks Blend Cider

Tieton Cider Works; Precipice Perry Cider, Wild Washington Apple Cider, Blossom Nectar Cider, Harmony Reserve Cider

Red Barn Cider/Tulip Valley Vineyard & Orchard; Burro Loco Cider, Red Barn Fire Barrel Cider, Red Barn Jonagold Cider

Westcott Bay Cider; Dry Cider, Medium Sweet Cider

Northwest Cider Association is dedicated to spreading the goodness of
Northwest Cider to all those who love great cider.

Full site is bubbling away behind the scenes and will be ready to enjoy soon.