An interview with Ria Windcaller from Cider Chat!
To celebrate Women's History Month in March and highlight members of the group who work within the cider industry, we interviewed leading women making waves as makers and contributors in the cider industry. We hope you enjoy our feature and get to know more about the Women in Cider who are being highlighted.
Question: Tell us about yourself and your role in cider.
Ria Windcaller: “Cider Delilah”, “Wrong Way Cider Guide”, “Yank”, “Expert”, “Ambassador”, “Cider Yentl” have all been whispered my way. To this day my favorite title I’ve been dubbed is “She with the voice like malolactic fermentation”. Since “Ria” is already my nickname I can’t go with “MLF”, but I do like how it is meant to imply “silky voice”. As Producer and Cider MC of the world’s number 1 cider podcast, that is the kind of compliment I adore. I have had an active role in the cider realm for over 26 years; teaching cidermaking, writing about cider, and working behind the scene at Franklin County CiderDays.
Q: What do you enjoy most about cider and/or the cider industry?
RW: I get to create the party that everyone wants to attend. That is the what Cider Chat is all about, promoting Cider=Fun.
Q: Do you have a favorite moment in your cider adventures?
RW: Most recently: staying with Étienne Dupont of Domaine Dupont and his wife during Cidrexpo in Normandy. That was a pinch me moment.
Q: What was the first cider that really knocked your socks off?
RW: “Crown Cider” from West County Cider in Colrain Massachusetts. It was well balanced and not super sweet. That and the Baldwin where both game changers. The Crown set me off on the quest to better understand yeast, because I found out they used 71B. At that time (circa 1995) no one was using 71B for cider, at least not in the US.
Q: What is your current favorite apple for cidermaking and why do you love it?
RW: I scrump apples for my 1880 press, from untouched orchards. Scrumpers get whatever blend of apples they can.
Q: What do you do when you’re not producing Cider Chat?
RW: Promoting the Totally Cider Tour headed to England on September 1-6, 2020. I also have an Aikido dojo and from time to time still dabble in my work as an International Consultant in Conflict Management.
Q: When you’re not drinking your ciders, whose are you drinking?
RW: This week I am drinking ciders from Russia. I just posted episode 216 with Alex Ionov, a Moscow maker and have another episode coming up with a group of Russian makers - three of which are women!
Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
RW: Cider is sexy and also down to earth. It can be dressed up in a fluted glass or kicked back straight out of the can. It speaks to blue collar workers and white collared chums. Cider=Fun.
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