MAKING OLD WORLD CIDER IN THE NEW WORLD: ISLAND ORCHARD CIDER

“We started planting trees in about 2006,” he said. “My wife’s father is from the coast of Brittany. We used to visit them and discovered the ciders of Brittany and Normandy. We decided we would do that here in the United States. That was about 2003-2004. We started planting trees on the island in 2006. We’re up to 2,400 trees or so, all French, English and American cider cultivars, very little edible fruit, with higher tannin, higher acid apples for cider. It’s becoming more common to plant the French and English cultivars, but I believe we were the first ones doing it here in Door County.

“It’s agriculture and it’s a long-term commitment because you’re putting trees in and you’re not sure how they’re going to do here,” Purman continued. “Some are not winter hardy. Some absolutely thrive in our limey shallow Niagara escarpment soil. Some of them didn’t do well at all. So we found the ones that worked well and tried to increase our stock in those, and then it’s a matter, for the most part, of blending them to get the best tasting cider.”