FOR CIDER DRINKERS: Check out the NW Cider Club website at NWCiderClub.com.
FOR CIDERIES – NWCA Selection Goals
We are excited to launch this brand new, debut cider club with you! First of its kind, the NW Cider Club will bring a variety of ciders from our region direct to consumers to educate, inspire and convert cider explorers and geeks to loyal cider drinkers. NWCA will strive for fairness in selecting cideries by following these criteria. Each season may not be completely balanced, but we aim to meet the below criteria across each calendar year.
Thank you to our Founding NW Cider Club Sponsors for helping NWCA establish this as a very real marketing and sales avenue for our members.
- Meet Grant Goals – NWCA has received several state department of agriculture grants to help us launch the NW Cider Club. Our first several seasons establishing the Cider Club will prioritize meeting grant requirements. This may result in less balance but will help NWCA launch and grow NW Cider Club into a sustainable program.
- Geography – We will strive to select geographically proportionate cideries, while balancing theme and cost. NWCA will select cideries proportionately based on current membership of cideries across WA, OR, MT, & ID whenever possible. The launch of this club is funded by the USDA, which at this time precludes our Canadian members. In the future, we strive to create a sustainable program that is inclusive of all our members.
- Harvest-driven vs Modern Styles – NWCA will select a variety of styles of ciders to educate club members on the breadth of ciders that exist in the NW. The club is our “megaphone,” our voice, our pulpit to share with consumers what comes from the PNW. Each box will be messaged around a theme.
- Format- For packaging ease, each box will focus on one format at a time (i.e. all 500ml bottles together instead of mixing small and large bottles in one shipment).Over time, we will include all bottle/can formats.
- Production Size of Cidery – We will strive to select a variety of cidery sizes:
Nano Cidery: 0 to 10,000 gallons
Micro Cidery: 10,001 to 20,000 gallons
Small Cidery: 20,001 to 50,000 gallons
Large Cidery: 50,001 to 100,000 gallons
Extra Large Cidery: 100,001 to 250,000 gallons
Volume Cidery: 250,001+ gallons
Basic Criteria
All cideries must meet & agree to these criteria before being selected:
- Current member of the Northwest Cider Association with dues paid for 2021
- Must sign up with Vinoshipper (or currently ship with Vinoshipper) and sign these agreements w/Vinoshipper:
- Trademark agreement
- Production agreement
- Trade name authorization
- Capacity to produce adequate quantity of selected cider
- Capacity to deliver or arrange for delivery of selected cider to Salem, OR
- Capacity & desire to work with NWCA staff on cider selection
- Willingness to promote and encourage purchase of NW Cider Club box containing your cider through your marketing & social media channels
For more information please reach out to Jana[at]nwcider.com.
Example Deadlines & Notes
October 2: Cideries agree to meet basic criteria and participate
October 9: First ciders selected
October 19: Participating cideries sign all docs with Vinoshipper
October 23: Cider Club Launch
November 29: Deadline for consumers to order
November 30: NWCA will communicate quantity to participating cideries
November 30 – December 7: Cideries deliver/ship product to Wineco
December 7: Product at Wineco
December 21: Approximate delivery date