York County Cidery Takes Best of Show at PA Farm Show Cider Competition
Harrisburg, PA – Wyndridge Farm LLC of Dallastown, York County won Best in Show today at the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show, with their Cider, Northern Spy.
Northern Spy, a Heritage Reserve cider, was fermented entirely with Northern Spy apples from Peters Orchards in Gardners, Pa. The acidic cider was described as aromatic and bright. Northern Spy cider was aged 10 months on Wyndridge farm.
This year’s cider competition featured 101 entries in nine categories, including modern dry, sweet, heritage, sour, fruit, hopped, spiced, dessert and wood-aged categories.
Cider entries were judged in early December by cider experts from California, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. All entries were produced with Pennsylvania fruit by licensed Pennsylvania cideries.
Ciders will be available for sampling and sale in the Main Hall at the Cider Garden for the duration of the show, and visitors can meet cider producers each day.
Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the nation in the number of cider producers, and saw $25.6 million in sales in 2016. Sales and production received a significant boost following legislation Governor Wolf signed that year, providing new avenues for public sector support of Pennsylvania’s wine, craft beer, and distillery industries.
The Farm Show Cider Competition was launched at the 2018 Farm Show, recognizing the surging popularity of craft cider. The global cider market is growing at a rate of 6% per year. Consumer demand for local, handcrafted products, coupled with Pennsylvania ranking fourth nationally for apple production make the state’s cider industry ripe for growth.
Last year, the Wolf Administration invested more than $1.2 million in the Pennsylvania craft brewing industry, which includes cider. The historic Pennsylvania Farm Bill also created a $460,000 Specialty Crop Grant program that invests even further in building the market and improving the quality and production of ingredients in craft brewing.
The industry has been prioritized because of the growth potential and opportunities it presents.
First, second and third-place winners in each category are:
Modern Cider- Dry
1- Northern Spy – Wyndridge Farm, Dallastown, York County
2- British Imposter – Good Intent Cider, Bellefonte, Centre County
3- Modern Sparkling – Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
Modern Cider- Sweet
1- Event Blend – Arsenal Cider House, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2- Stone Mountain Cowboy – Stone Mountain Wine Cellar, Pine Grove, Schuylkill County
3- Sweet – Lancaster County Cider, Manheim, Lancaster County
Heritage Cider
1- Stark – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County
2- Dolgo – Big Hill Ciders, Gardners, Adams County
3- Rosedale – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County
Sour Cider
1- Wild Jonagold- Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
2- Viejo- Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
3- Farmhouse- Frecon’s Cidery, Boyertown, Berks County
Fruit Cider
1- Cherry Pie- Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County; Pitch- Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (tie)
2- Pineapple X-Press – Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County
3- Bluebird – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County; Cidre Cherry – Frecon’s Cidery, Boyertown, Berks County (tie)
Hopped Cider
1- Hopped – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2- Hopped – Godfrey Run Cider Mill, Lake City, Erie County
3- Earth – Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
Spiced Cider
1- Bouquet de Rose – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2- Fall Spice – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
3- Grants Flying Pumpkin – Arsenal Cider House, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Wood Aged Cider
1- Outpost- Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
2- King in Arms – Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
3- North Meets South – Good Intent Cider, Bellefonte, Centre County; Barrel Aged Reserve – Big Hill Ciderworks, Gardners, Adams County (tie)
Dessert Cider
1- Pommeau – Wyndridge Farm, Dallastown, York County
2- Honey Pommeau – Deep Roots Hard Cider, Sugar Run, Bradford County
3- Ice Cider – Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County
The Pennsylvania Farm Show draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to our capital city every year for a mid-winter celebration of Pennsylvania agriculture. It is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation, featuring nearly 12,000 competitive exhibits, including more than 5,200 animal competitions, plus 300 commercial exhibits and hundreds of educational, entertaining events. Visitors get a peek into the industry that employs nearly half a million people and contributes $135.7 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy every year.
