Winter 2026 Release
Greetings from the snowy Catskills!
Winter's first snow is always a thing of excitement. Like the call of the Red-winged Blackbird or the taste of the first apple, it serves to mark the season. Last week flakes flew in the Catskills, blanketing the ground with close to a foot of snow. The view from the cidery after it snows is especially stunning, reminding us how lucky we are to be growing fruit on this hillside above the Delaware. The orchardist in me is also happy to see a blanket of snow on the ground before the first extreme cold hits. Snow is the insulation the trees need to weather the winter cold and the polar vortex incursions we have all become familiar with.
This time of year I often like to revisit Henry David Thoreau’s Wild Apples. It is a fairly short read, but for me one that speaks to the primal nature of our relationship with the apple. The following passage in particular has always captured perfectly the feeling I get this time of year as the seasons change.
All apples are good in November. Those which the farmer leaves out as unsalable, and unpalatable to those who frequent the markets, are choicest fruit to the walker. But it is remarkable that the wild apple, which I praise as so spirited and racy when eaten in the fields or woods, being brought into the house, has frequently a harsh and crabbed taste. The Saunterer's Apple not even the saunterer can eat in the house. The palate rejects it there, as it does haws and acorns, and demands a tamed one; for there you miss the November air, which is the sauce it is to be eaten with....These apples have hung in the wind and frost and rain till they have absorbed the qualities of the weather of season, and thus are highly seasoned, and they pierce and sting and permeate us with their spirit....To appreciate the wild and sharp flavors of these October fruits, it is necessary that you be breathing the sharp October or November air. The out-door air and exercise which the walker gets give a dif erent tone to his palate, and he craves a fruit which the sedentary would call harsh and crabbed. They must be eaten in the fields, when your system is all aglow with exercise, when the frosty weather nips your fingers, the wind rattles the bare boughs or rustles the few remaining leaves, and the jay is heard screaming around. What is sour in the house a bracing walk makes sweet. Some of these apples might be labelled, "To be eaten in the wind."
In the cidery we are busy pressing. Last week we pressed Franklin - a variety we have never worked with before, but are very excited to ferment. It was found as a chance seedling by a man named Bill Mayo on a farm in Franklin, Vermont almost 20 years ago. The juice from this apple came in at an astounding 25 brix! For those of you not well versed in fermentation terminology, that is a mind-blowing amount of sugar for an apple, even a cider apple. It is more sugar than some wine grapes and almost twice what you might expect from a typical dessert apple. The juice also has intense acid and tannin and we are very excited to see what it tastes like once it ferments. Overall the 2025 vintage has been characterized by high sugars and good flavor. With tanks still bubbling away, the vintage has yet to completely reveal itself, but we are feeling optimistic as we get ready to turn the page on another year.
With gratitude,
Chris and the Seminary Hill team
The Release
The release includes ciders suited for the colder months, with warming tannins and earthy undertones. Our O Tannin Bomb ‘22 (with a name made for the season, if you like puns) is dry, highly tannic and a perfect accompaniment to a rich holiday meal. As one of our traditional method ciders, it is also perfect for holiday celebrations. Our Cackling Hen ‘22, with its honey and apple notes and soft earthy tannins is a warming cider you might enjoy after a brisk walk. Rounding out the three bottle shares is something from our library. We reached way back to the earliest days of Seminary Hill to find our 2019 Susan’s Semi-dry. This was the first vintage of this cider which has become a mainstay at Seminary Hill. Named for one of the owners, this cider seeks the balance between sweet and dry. It has aged incredibly well in the bottle with more prominent tannins and less acidity than some of our more recent vintages of Susan’s Semi-dry.
The six bottle shares will also receive our SHOC Holiday Bundle. This trio includes 3 vintages of SHOC ciders from 2019, 2021 and 2023, each with its own unique style and story. This will be the last time some of these ciders are available before we stash away the few remaining cases in our library. We hope you enjoy them.
