ABOUT TOWN SUPER SIPS: Anna’s Cider’s crisp Hazy Dry (left) and aromatic Rosé Cider have become favorites among craft brew drinkers.
Later, he joined Topa Mountain Winery as head winemaker, where he continues to work while producing Anna’s Cider — a passion project which has evolved beyond his wildest dreams. “My whole life has evolved around wine,” Dominic says. “Cider was something that Anna and I could do together. Cider seemed like a natural progression for us. We wanted to do something to make a family business.”
FRUIT WITHOUT THE FUNK “Historically, cider is the American drink in many ways,” Dominic explains. “Apple orchards . . . planted here in America are for cider production.” Dominic says that his background in wine has primed him for success as a cider producer. “I know I can take this ancient craft and put my winemaking twist on it.” Anna’s Cider is known for its semi-dry concoctions — a far cry from apple juice, and developed to appeal to beer drinkers . . . and themselves. “We didn’t like a lot of the ciders we tasted,” Dominic confirms. “They tended to be really sweet and kind of boring.” From the beginning, the O’Reillys aimed to develop something interesting, with greater depth and more nuance…similar in some respects to wine. Something that would appeal to a connoisseur. They’ve achieved that goal with ciders that are clean and fresh, fragrant
and delicate — fruit forward without a lot of sugar or additives. “We want our ciders to be really clean,” Dominic adds. “Something very pure . . . [that] doesn’t have funky, off flavors . . . sort of like French farmhouse cider without the funky stuff.” Anna says that their ciders are often compared to a sparkling wine. “It’s one of the most common comments we get. It’s like champagne or a really light beer. It has a nice, light, natural carbonation.” Anna’s Cider uses Braeburn apples as the “backbone.” “It’s an old cider apple,” Dominic explains. “It tends to be very acidic. It’s probably 50 percent of the base.” Other flavors and characteristics come in with Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady and other varietals. All the fruit comes from family farms in the Sierra Foothills, San Luis Obispo County and San Diego. Crops are picked in the fall, but unlike other produce, apples can be stored — in cellars or coolers — and grow sweeter over time. “We have access to fresh apples all year round,” Dominic confirms — which is strange to him as a winemaker, where much more delicate grapes need to be harvested and crushed right away before they rot.
RISING FROM THE ASHES Anna’s Cider produced its first batch — about 30 gallons of cider, or 240 pints, made from 600 pounds of apples — in November 2017. A month later, nearly everything — facility, equipment, inventory — was lost to the Thomas Fire. Continued on page 12
OCTOBER 2020
|
8
ventana
|
11
