A fine cider starts off in the orchard. We use only local historic cider apples that are ideal for cider making. Throughout the Santa Cruz mountains the Newtown Pippin apple was commonly grown for cider production prior to the Prohibition Era. It was internationally revered for its exceptional qualities a cider apple by daily cider drinkers. The list of cider enthusiasts that considered the Newtown Pippin a superior apple were several well known heads of state such as Queen Victoria, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Queen Victoria lowered taxes on this specific variety of apple because she enjoyed it so much. Benjamin Franklin enjoyed it so much he advocated drinking a pint every day. While Thomas Jefferson dedicated a significant portion of his cider orchard to this cultivar. We work closely with our orchardist to ensure that our apples are fully ripened, picked at the precise moment where acidity and sugar levels are optimal in the same way a winegrower watches over his grapes for that magical moment where the fruit is at its peak pf perfection. The longer hang time allows for phenolic development resulting in an full bodied aromatic wine.

Once off the tree and in the cellar we work to protect the esters carefully cultivated in this process. We ferment using low temperatures. This low and slow method takes several months to complete. The commonly used hot ferment method may produce an alcoholic product in just a few weeks but this process strips the cider of flavor and requires back-sweetening with apple juice or artificial flavors. All of our ciders are aged for the traditional amount of time, one year, to fully integrate the wine and balance acidity. This gives a richer texture enhancing the mouth feel and overall drinking experience. This dedication to crafting cider using traditional production methods results in a dry champagne style cider with delicate apple aroma, bright and balanced acidity, and a clean finish.