The BC Cider Festival Year 2.  The Cider makers pour at The Pipe Shop.

  

THE SHOW

 

Its Official..I’m a Certified Cider Head.

Happily, I don’t appear to be alone.

Lots of us are discovering that the sweet icky cider our parents consumed has disappeared. It’s been replaced by a growing army of cider makers..from around the World and best of all – right here in BC.

I had some catching up to do having missed the first BC Cider Festival.

I was delighted to find out that all of the participating ciders would be pouring at The Pipe Shop, foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver.

 

The Pipe Shop

(The very shop that my Father,  HD “Pat” Mulligan worked in as WW2 was beginning)

I had a hunch that when they opened the main doors at 1:30 it was going to get crazy..and it did.

So, I started early as the tables were being set up and talked to as many Cideries as I could.

You can hear the room get louder and louder as first the staff worked the room, then the cider trade people tasted and finally when the  general public came in..I couldn’t even get near the tables and my work was done.

This was such a great  learning experience for me. My hope is that it’s the same for you.

There are so many great stories here. Ciders made from blends of apples, heritage apples planted and forgotten about over the years and apples discovered, grown and harvested in Vancouver’s East End.

Backyard apples made into first class Ciders.

I hope you  find your new  favourite cider in the next hour.  Cheers!!

Big thanks to Txotx Imports and Massey Wines.

 

Guests on this week’s  Cider festival Special include :

Txotx Imports  –  Sean Pisio    (Organizer)

BC Tree Fruits –  Nadine Harrison (asst. winemaker) Kelowna

Kate Pedersen – Left field Cider  (Logan Lake)

Naramata Cider Co – Miranda Halliday (co-owner)  Naramata

Ward’s Cider – Mike Anderson  (cidermaker)  Kelowna

Raven’s Moon – Quinn Ehrler     (owner and cellar rat)  Courtney

Nomad Cider – Brad Klammer    (Co-owner)  Summerland

Salt Spring Wild Cider   –   Mike Lachelt & Greda Lattey  (co-owners / cidermakers)  Salt Spring

Salt Spring Wild Tasting Room

Howling Moon Cider – Nik & Kate Durisek (owners / cidermakers) Oliver

Twisted Hills Cider – Kaylan Madeira (owner/cidermaker)  Cawston

Cedar Cider – Gabriel Jefferies (co-owner)  Hazelmere

Sea Cider – Kristen Needham  (founder / cidermaker)  Saanichton

Windfall Cider – Jeff Nairn (co-founder)  East Vancouver

Dominion Cider – Robin Cairns  (co-founder)  Summerland

The boys from Dominion Cider – (courtesy of Montecristo magazine)

Second Page   Samantha Chamberland   Courtney/Comox

…and the winners are:

  • Dry
    3rd Cedar Cider – Sprig
    2nd Nomad – Sparkling Sidra
    1st Twisted Hills – Pippens Fate
  • Medium
    3rd Second Page – Apple
    2nd Sea Cider – Bittersweet
    1st Salt Spring – Semi- Dry
  • Specialty
    3rd Salt Spring Wild – Bitter Orange Rosemary
    2nd Merridale – Mo Morrow
    1st Dominion – True at First Light
  • Fruit
    3rd Lonetree – Apple Peach
    2nd Merridale – Merri Berri
    1st Left Field – Joe Shack
  • HSB
    3rd Brickers – Sage, Peppercorn, Thyme
    2nd Lonetree – Ginger
    1st Saltspring Wild – Ginger Root

 

http://bcciderfest.ca/

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Margaret Leonardi – Winemaker at Adorada Wines (Mendocino)

Mary McDermott – Winemaker at Township 7

Chef Andrey Durbach – Brings great Italian for Vancouver Island

The first Cowichan Wine Festival

Okanagan Stories from

Bill Eggert Fairview Cellars

Randy Toor  Desert Hills/Rajen Toor  Ursa Major

Dylan/Penelope Roche  Roche Wines

Gordon Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards (#3 in Canada and #1 Small Winery in BC)

And a visit with Joseph Luckhurst from  the Canadian Winery of the Year Road 13

The 7th annual Four friends fishing at Gowlland Resort Campbell River

(with Rhys Pender, Chef Mark Filatow, John Weber and meee)