At the Gravenstein Apple Fair, on August 13 -14 at Ragle Ranch Park, to no one’s surprise, our namesake apples are served in every delicious way imaginable – fried in fritters, covered in caramel, perfect in pies and, of course, tasty from the tree.
But Wait There’s More…
Let’s not forget how wonderful the juice of this favorite fruit is. Kids LOVE apple juice. Adults love apple juice too – particularly when it comes in the form of hard apple cider. We’re in the midst of a hard apple cider renaissance and nowhere will you find more tasty, handcrafted cider options than at the Gravenstein Apple Fair.
We’ll let local hard apple cider expert Dana Glei fill you in on the fun details of Sonoma County cider-craft.
Spitters Make Great Cider?!
That’s right, “spitters” make great cider! Artisan cider makers are always on the lookout for spitters.
Craft cider makers often incorporate tannic apples that are suited only for cider. Growers refer to those apples as “spitters” because that’s what you will be doing if you try to eat them.
Spitters are not easy to find because few people grow them. However, even a small percentage of tannic cider apples can add a lot of body to the cider. They also enhance the cider’s ability to age well.
Names such as Tremlett’s Bitter and Geneva Bitter tell you that those apples are NOT intended to be eaten. You’ve probably never heard of the cider apples that are among the most prized by cider makers such as Kingston Black (the unicorn of cider apples), Golden Russet* (the champagne of cider apples), Dabinett (the Godfather of cider apples), Porter’s Perfection, and Yarlington Mill. You will NEVER find them in any grocery store.
Craft Cider IS Different
There is another key distinction between craft cider and mass-produced cider. Craft cider is generally made from local, fresh-pressed apples. In contrast, many grocery store ciders are made using apple concentrate, often shipped in from China, and sometimes blended with sugar water.
Craft cider also takes a long time to make. It is generally fermented over a period of many months. Some artisan ciders are aged for years. A mass-produced cider can be made and sold in a matter of weeks.
Do Gravenstein Apples Make Good Cider?
Many of the 15 ciders at the Fair include the signature apple of Sonoma County: Gravenstein. Two are made from 100% Gravenstein: Ace Blackjack 21 (sweet, barrel-aged), Eye Cyder Original Gravenstein (dry, wild-ferment, barrel-aged).
Others blend (at least some) Gravenstein with other heirloom and/or traditional cider apples. Some are made using a wild‑yeast fermentation (Bardos Yeti Cider, Coturri Pét-Nat Cider, Belden Barns Farm Reserve, North American Press, Tilted Shed Ciderworks Graviva), while others use a cultured-yeast (Dutton Estate Cider, Ethic Ciders Golden Rule, Golden State Cider 10th Anniversary Blend, Horse & Plow Heirloom Cider). The Wildcard Cider by North American Press is a co-ferment of Gravenstein (90%) with wild grapes (10%).
The remaining ciders are blended from other apples. For example, Humboldt Cider Co. is offering a cider from Sonoma County Jonathan, while the Trowbridge Cider includes a blend of Jonathan and other heirloom apples (e.g., Winesap, King) grown in Sebastopol. The Goat Rock Dry Cider is a blend based primarily on Honeycrisp. The AppleGarden Cider is a blend of heirloom and traditional cider apples (e.g., Kingston Black, Golden Russet, Tremlett’s Bitter) from Marin County.
Which Cider is Right for You? Cider Experts Can Help
Many of the ciders are on the dry side, while others have more residual sugar. If you are new to cider, we will help you figure out which cider might be to your liking: Sweet? Dry? Funky? Clean? Fruit-forward? No added sulfites? Barrel-aged? Bottle-conditioned? Pet-Nat?
This year, the GAF Craft Cider Tent is organized by a group of Sonoma County home cider makers known as the GRAVS (Gold Ridge Apple Vintner’s Society). Many of the people serving at the Craft Cider Tent make cider themselves. We have tasted a lot of cider!
You will be shocked at how much variation there is even among ciders made from the same apples. At the Craft Cider Tent, we have the perfect cider for everyone.
Come join us at the Fair!
