469: Getting Lost, So You Don’t | UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 Recap
Release Date: 09/10/2025
484: Rethinking American Cider History with Patrick McCauley
Cider Chat
Meet Patrick McCauley, a Michigan-based cider maker and researcher, who is questioning some of the most common myths about American cider history. What Patrick uncovers is a far more regional, farm-based, and resilient cider story than the usual “cider died because of Prohibition” narrative. 00:00 Introduction to Cider and Prohibtion 00:23 Meet the Host and Guest 01:56 Listener Support and Community 04:51 Cider Salon Hungary, Uk & French Cider Tour 08:03 Featured Conversation with Patrick McCauley 10:25 Cider Production and Historical Insights 14:48 Regional Cider Production in...
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483: The Talking Pomme’s Grand Winter Party
Cider Chat
Enjoy this annual winter tale from Cider Chat Central! In this special holiday episode, Cider Chat invites you to step into the enchanting world of the Talking Pommes. The Talking Pommes Grand Winter Party is more than just a story - it’s a celebration of all things pome, community, tradition, and the joy that comes with every glass of cider. The cider house hums with anticipation as Ria, Perry Pear, Mr. Quince, and the Medlars prepare the night before their annual pressing. But as every year before there is always magic in the air for Ciderville. With the Talking Pommes truly anything...
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482: FLX Cider & Cheese Pairing with Cheesemonger Rachel Freier
Cider Chat
At the New York Cider Fest in November, there were 2 Cider and Cheese sessions. Cider Chat Emcee Ria Windcaller attended one featuring ciders from 4 different makers. This cider and cheese pairing was led by Rachel Freier, a cheesemonger who is based in the Finger Lakes. She brought deep knowledge, humor, and a whole lot of heart as we tasted our way through four ciders and three cheeses. 00:00 Introduction to New York City Cider Fest 01:55 Networking at the Cider Fest 02:50 Exploring the Finger Lakes Cider Scene 04:36 Upcoming Cider Tours and Events 09:32 Cider Making Tips and Anecdotes...
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481: Totally Cider Tour: A Merry Visit to Tom Oliver’s
Cider Chat
Tom Oliver is delightfully talented, mischievously witty, and not only a renowned cider maker but also a top-notch perry maker. He may say, “If you’re going to make perry and work with pears, you’ve already identified yourself as being criminally insane,” but what we found was simply a bold maker willing to go the extra mile for every bottle. Enjoy this audio snap shot at Oliver’s Cider and Perry Herefordshire, recorded on the 2025 Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition. Hear him share the story behind transforming his family’s old hop barns into the heart of his cider and perry...
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480: Holiday Cider Gift Guide 2025 and Playing with Pommeau
Cider Chat
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:32 French Pronunciation Fun 02:27 Holiday Gift Ideas for 2025 02:59 Cider Chat News and Updates 04:42 Listener Stories and Experiences 07:49 Upcoming UK Cider Tour 2026 12:47 Featured Presentation: 2025 Holiday Cider Gift Guide 13:35 Cider Chat Partners and Supporters 25:30 Stocking Stuffer Tips and Cider Supplies 31:36 The Perfect Name for American Pommeau 45:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 00:00 Introduction and Language Fun 00:14 Cider Chat Episode 480 Overview 01:10 Naming Poot in America 02:27 Holiday Gift Ideas for 2025 02:59 Cider Chat News...
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479: New York Cider Fest | Audio Snapshots
Cider Chat
New York Cider Fest 2025 brought together makers and enthusiasts for an unforgettable day at City Winery Manhattan. In this special collection of on-the-floor recordings, Cider Chat® captures Audio Snap Shots with festival patrons. Hear how attendees at the New York Cider Fest are viewing cider today — what styles they’re excited about, how they’re drinking it, and the foods they love to pair with a glass, including their favorite Thanksgiving matches. Episode Timeline 00:00 Introduction to Cider Chat 02:34 Exciting News: Totally Cider Tours 10:21 Feature Presentation:...
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478: Pommeau: What Happens When a French Classic Lands on U.S. Labels
Cider Chat
What is Pommeau? Pommeau is a: fortified blend of fresh apple must (unfermented) and apple brandy (typically Calvados in Normandy or Lambig in Brittany). The unfermented apple juice and brandy are combined before fermentation, which halts the process entirely and preserves natural sweetness. By law in France, Pommeau must be aged a minimum of 18 months in oak and produced within designated regions. It’s rich, amber-colored, and served as an apéritif. It is consider to be a French heritage drink shaped by decades of refinement and protected standards. When did...
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477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving
Cider Chat
Learn how to pick the right Cider and Perry for every dish on the Thanksgiving table. This week we are not chasing brand names. We are building flavor intuition. Consider Thanksgiving not as one single taste on a plate; it is a stack of distinct taste worlds. Each one asks for its own kind of cider or perry. In this holiday feature, Ria and the Talking Pommes a.k.a. Perry Pear, Mr. Quince, and The Medlars talk through the art of pairing cider and perry for the entire Thanksgiving feast, from the welcome sip to dessert. You will learn how to shop with confidence, how to read a label for style...
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476: Be Medieval, Rack that Cider| Secondary Fermentation
Cider Chat
How to clarify, stabilize, and finish cider the right way The Purpose of Secondary Fermentation when Making Cider Once the apple juice has started fermented and it is now slowing down, it is time to rack over your cider for secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation is where your cider moves from “young” to “refined.” This stage improves clarity, stability, and overall quality before bottling or serving. 00:00 – Introduction and Welcome 00:27 – Meet the Host: Ria Windcaller 00:45 – The Magic of Clothes Pins 01:14 – Episode Overview: Secondary Fermentation 01:55 – Replay...
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475: At the UK’s National Perry Pear Centre and the Story Behind 99PINES
Cider Chat
Perry making has deep roots in Gloucestershire, stretching back to the 17th century when French wine imports were cut off during the Napoleonic Wars. Local farmers turned to their own fruit, and the rich soils around Hartpury proved ideal for growing Perry pears. This episode features audio snapshots from the 2025 Totally Cider Tour stop at the National Perry Pear Centre. Our guide, Phil Kester, volunteers with 99PINES , where he helps preserve the region’s rare Perry pear varieties. Phil’s passion for Perry and deep local knowledge made this visit one of the...
info_outlineUK Cider Tour 2025 Audio Snap Shots
In this Episode 469 of Cider Chat, we brings listeners inside the UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 through the voices of the guests who joined. From Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, to Wales guests on this tour discovered not just cider and perry, but also community, history, and inspiration.
First Impressions and Highlights
- Many guests shared that they signed up to experience places they couldn’t access on their own.
- From the scale of Showering’s Cider Mill, the second largest in the country to the intimate welcome at Oliver’s, the contrast certainly left a deep impression.
- The discovery of Perry was a recurring theme. From Ohio travelers Chris and Megan who tasted their very first Perry on the tour, while Rodney from Virginia declared he’d be grafting Perry scions at home.
Personal Connections
- For repeat travelers like Debbie and Bryce from California, the tour reaffirmed how relationships with makers enrich the experience: “
- They treat us like friends, not tourists.”
- Ancha from Hungary spoke of the joy of hiking the Malvern Hills in the rain and celebrating with fellow cider lovers.
- Rachel and Mary of Kanga Cider in Texas noted the value of orchard insights for their own plantings back home, while Thomas from Australia praised the tour for covering the full spectrum of producers—from industrial to artisanal.
Learning and Inspiration
Guests emphasized that tasting ciders in their native terroir cannot be replaced by books or certifications. Dan from Spacetime Mead and Cider Works in Dunmore Pennsylvania highlighted how only by being in Herefordshire or Somerset can one grasp the range of English cider styles.
Susan and Tom of Heeman’s Cellars in Ontario pointed out how the pacing of the tour allowed real reflection—something missing from busier farm tours.
The Takeaway
Whether first-timers or repeat guests, everyone agreed: the Totally Cider Tour offers access, education, and camaraderie that can’t be replicated alone.
As David of Oregon said it best, “It wasn’t really about the cider—it was about the people.”
Contact info for Totally Cider Tours
- Website page: https://ciderchat.com/totally-cider-tours/
For details on upcoming cider journeys and to join the waitlist, send an email to info@ciderchat.com and write in the heading- Totally Cider Tours.
- Let us know how many are in your party
- Destinations you would like to visit
Mentions in this Cider Chat Episode 469
- 425: Babycham to Triple Vintage – The Showering’s Cider Legacy
- 450th Roger Wilkins – The Cider King
- 444: Worleys and Honey’s: Somerset’s Cider Makers
- 441: Wilding Cider and the Rural Method | Somerset, UK
- 454: Wild Ferment Meets Fine Cider: Inside Oliver’s Barrel Room
- 460: James Forbes on Little Pomona’s Ciders & Legacy
- 432: Ancha Gergely’s Abaliget Garden Projects | Hungarian Cider Maker