In the early 1900s, before vineyards grew in popularity, it was apples that dominated the Sebastopol agricultural landscape. Orchards, canning factories, and packing sheds dotted the area, with apple products transported around the country by railcar. The most common variety was the Gravenstein, believed to have been introduced locally by Russian trappers at nearby Fort Ross around 1812. Yet with the rise in demand for wine grapes toward the end of the 20thcentury, most of the local orchards were slowly replaced with vineyards. The same cool, mid-coastal climate and sandy loam Goldridge soil that so benefit apple farming in the area are highly favorable conditions for grapes as well.
Nevertheless, a few orchards remain, and the local hard cider industry has been enjoying a recent renaissance. Other heirloom apple varietals have been replanted, yet the Gravenstein remains a regional favorite. Additional small nods to Sebastopol’s modern horticultural history can be found scattered around the rural area, including a handful of apple trees planted on Radio-Coteau’s Biodynamic estate vineyard and farm in the hills just west of town. Although wine growers first, they prioritize agricultural biodiversity and balance, choosing to nurture and utilize the existing orchard fruit in addition to the vineyard acres. It’s also impossible to ignore the allure of the Gravenstein, because as apples go, this one is extra special. The first of the season to ripen, and featuring complex aromatics and crisp, sweet-tart flavor, Gravensteins are ideal for cider. Thus it only made sense that in 2015, using apples from the estate farm as well as those from select West County neighbors, Eye Cyder fermented their first batch of hard cider.
In addition to the estate apples, they continue to source apples from local, organic, dry farmed orchards, focusing primarily on Gravensteins, along with a few later-ripening varietals like Rome and Pippins. Eye Cyder’s “OG,” or Original Gravenstein, cider is a solera barrel-aged staple, delicious on its own or as the foundation for seasonal co-ferments and infusions that capture the character of the local landscape. As the producers behind Radio-Coteau and County Line Vineyards wines, the emphasis is on ciders, fruits and infusions that ripen before or after the grape harvest, when life on the farm gets very complicated.
Fresh redwood tips in spring, oro blanco in winter, and blackberries and plums in fall –all work well around the grape production timetable. Always native fermented, unfiltered, and without added sulfites, these ciders are refreshing, artisanal encapsulations of the western Sonoma County landscape.
