Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/724494
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m S e p t - O c t 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 6 5 gets of fruit produce the complex and satisfying flavors that are driv- ing the phenomenal growth of the cider industry. To get a snapshot of the U.S. cider industry today, we spoke to three cider makers around the country: Diane Flynt, who operates Foggy Ridge Cider on her 250-acre orchard in Dugspur, Va., takes a traditionalist approach to making award-winning ciders that are well suited for fine dining tables. Ellen Cavalli and her husband, Scott Heath, own Tilted Shed Ciderworks in Sonoma County, Calif., and grow heirloom and cider apples on their 5.4-acre farm. They're traditional- ists — with a twist. They love to experiment. Nat West calls himself a "cider evangelist" and takes the name Reverend Nat. He runs his eponymous urban cidery in Port- land, Ore., where he draws devot- ed customers mainly from craft beer aficionados who love his fla- vorful concoctions. FOGGY RIDGE CIDER After 15 years in the banking industry, Flynt left her job because she needed more time to plan and plant her cider apple orchard in southwest Virginia and to develop her knowledge of pomology (grow- ing apples) and enology. So she joined a bank consulting company for a job that gave her the cash flow she needed to build her cidery, as well as the flexibility required to master her new role as orchardist and cider maker. Flynt was, in a sense, returning to her roots, buying a 250-acre farm high in the Blue Ridge Mountains after growing up in a small Georgia town with grandparents who were farmers. She consulted with apple and cider experts to decide what varieties to plant and left the orchard for weeks at a time to volunteer at wineries and cideries so she could learn the art of fermentation first- hand. She took seminars, as well as a class taught by U.K. cider expert Peter Mitchell at his Cider Academy in Southwest England. In 1997, Flynt planted more than 30 varieties of cider apples. "I picked my apples not because they were old or heritage, but because they were cider apples with the complex flavor, tannin and acidity needed for fine cider," she says. "My favorites are Hewe's Crab, Ashmead's Kernel and Dabinett. There's a lot of romance in the names." In 2004, she made her first cider; in 2005, she made her first sale. Since then, she's racked up acco- lades and medals for her four spar- kling ciders and two apple ports. In 2015 and 2016, she received a James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional. Diane Flynt of Foggy Ridge Cider likens her process to winemaking and only uses carefully chosen cider apples. C R A F T B E V E R A G E S R E P O R T