I was recently taken to task by a conscientious commenter who took the time to lightly scold me for nomenclature I’ve deployed here at The Cider Journal. The gist of the scold went this way: 1. Don’t use the term “hard cider”…everyone else in the world calls it “cider” 2. Don’t use the adjective “Artisan”….it’s… Read more »
According to Nielsen, during the 12 months ending March 31, retail sales of Hard Cider in the U.S were up 85% over the same 12 month period from a year ago. This should confirm that the hard cider boom remains well under way with steam on its heels? So why is cider taking off? There… Read more »
Despite now having worked in the wine industry in California for 25 years, I did not have the opportunity to witness that unique burst of energy and creativity that took California from producing just wine to producing fine wine. That moment happened before my time in the 1970s when a small group of passionate and… Read more »
The craft cider culture in America, and for that matter the craft cider trade, embraces today a distinctly beer-centric perspective on this rising drink and rising business. I find this puzzling given the fact that cider itself is distinctly more wine-like in character. • One is far more likely to seek out craft cider, or… Read more »
The recent reports of shortage of cider apples in the U.S. in the wake of the hard cider drinking boom presents some fairly obvious opportunities for experienced and not-so-experienced orchardists alike. Clearly, more apple orchards are in our future. The interesting question, however, will be how and why those orchards get planted. When the wine… Read more »
My continued exploration of hard cider here at Fermentation is a bit of an experiment as much as it is a personal pursuit. What I wonder as I mix reviews and posts on Cider with my coverage of wine is the extent to which there is any interest in cider among the primarily hard-core wine… Read more »
Imagine a weather event so severe that it literally wiped out an entire vintage of grapes in Napa Valley or Russian River Valley or the Santa Lucia Highlands. Devastating on a number of levels. Well, this is exactly what has appeared to have happened to the Southwest England Cider Apple Orchards after devastating rains there… Read more »
