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Cider and Wine Collection

TOAST. A champagne style cider. Aged on lees then disgorged, dosaged and corked, this cider is high acid, high tannin and high bubble.  Perfect for celebrating life’s small and big moments.

(Au)ra. A champagne style cider. Aged on lees then disgorged, dosaged and corked, this cider showcases russet apples, in particular the incredible Golden Russet. Bright and  bubbly. A special cider for special moments, like sunsets.

RIVER VALLEY RESERVE. This blend is the cidermakers ideal. 60-70% bittersweets with a few bittersharps and 20%-30% Keespake. So, in addition to that Minnesota classic apple, you will taste Dabinett, Chisel Jersey, Ellis Bitter, Bulmers Norman, Major, Kingston Black. The exact blend changes with harvest year but we are searching for a certain balance of flavors each year. We have two Vintages available Dry 2024 and Medium 2023- both Pet Nat. 

ORCHARD RESERVE. This blend highlights tropical fruit acidity paired with soft background tannins. The majority of the blend consists of apples like Golden Russet, Grimes Golden, Arkansas Black, Gold Rush, Keepsake, and Chestnut, blended with a low percentage of bittersweet apples like Dabinet and Ellis Bitter. Currently, we offer two blends 2020/21 Pet Nat Dry and 2023 Medium.   

CHESTNUT & FRIENDS.  This blend showcases the Minnesota classic little crab apple—chestnut crab—with other varieties. We lean toward the bittersweets of English origin. Currently we are pouring Chestnut +  Ellis Bitter. 2023 Pet Nat Dry.

CHESTNUT CRAB APPLE SINGLE VARIETAL. A very dry, bright cider with hints of smoke, cherries, and mostly pears. Think of the perfect cider for weathering a storm at a pub on the Scottish highlands. Great with a single malt. Pet Nat Dry. 

DABINETT. One of our favorite English bittersweets, this single varietal cider comes from one orchard: the wonderful Hoch Orchard and Garden in southeast Minnesota. A medium sweet cider with big flavors of black tea, butterscotch, and ripe apples. Charmat method and very unique.

The DRIFTLESS Blends. This series is born from a love of place. We live on the edge of the famed Driftless Area, and we love exploring the creeks and valleys of this beautiful place. Plus, amazing apples grow there. We have been using fruit from here for our whole existence. In fact Nate’s first trial cider was made from wild foraged apples from Driftless. Years later, we started the Driftless Series, selecting one orchard with the input of the farmer, and picking only the best and most unique apples to reflect the year and place as best we can. Currently we are offering: 

Two ciders from 2022-23 harvest Hoch Orchard And Gardens. A SEMI DRY Charmat Method which features a blend of dessert and bittersweet appples and LA CRESCENT Dry Pet Nat aged on plums and wine grapes. 

One Cider from Badgersett FarmWe have a Badgersett Version 1 Pet Nat Dry 2023 harvest.

JEWEL AGED ON CHERRIES. A field blend of apples form the base for a cider aged on special cherries grown not far from our farm at Welch Woods Farm. This cider bridges two seasons and two farms. Expect a natural sweetness and bubbled with the Charmat method. 

Happenstance. As you might guess this cider blend just happens sometimes. Its for a cider that colors outside the lines. We blended a few different co ferments to make on big Pet Nat Dry cider aged on Aronia, Cherries, Plums and Grapes! 

Sunset Blend. A co-ferment of Dark berries and grapes from our farm and Organic Elder Berries from our wonderful friends at Organic Compound. The whole fruit is aged in a field blend cider of our organic apples. Pet Nat Dry.

FOCUS ON THE APPLE: SMALL BATCH SINGLE AND DOUBLE VARIETALS

Currently available- at Farm only

-Arkansas Black/ Dabinett Pet Nat Dry

-Roxbury Russet Pet Nat Dry

ORGANIC FARMHOUSE DRY. A field blend of organic apples from our home, Woodskeep Orchard. Pet Nat Dry. Tropical fruit mix with prairie flowers and savory herbs.  One of our two farmhouse ciders. 

ORGANIC FARMHOUSE SEMI SWEET. A diverse blend of local apples fermented with native yeast and bubbled with the Charmat method. We taste stone fruit, honey, and apples! This cider is our crowd favorite—complex but not intimidating. The current offering is an organic version exclusively from our Woodskeep Orchard, which is just steps from our tasting room. One of our two table/farmhouse ciders. 

WOOD & SPIRITS. A single Varietal of one of our favorite MN apples- Keepsake! This blend was aged in second use whiskey barrels, leaning heavy on MN oak. A medium sweetness pairs with oak and vanilla and lost of stone fruit! Carbonated

AGED ON WOOD. A medium bodied still cider aged on Minnesota oak. A high acidity and tang with background wood notes, perfect with food of all types, especially barbecue. Very Limited availability

ICE. We leave a blend of unfermented cider out in the Minnesota winter, where it freezes solid. When the temperatures warm in the spring, we bring it into the cidery and collect the richest of the juice. We take that treasure and ferment and barrel-age to create our ice cider—a sweet, strong treat.

Pommeau. A lovely French tradition. We blend brandy made from our cider with cider fresh from the press in a MN oak barrel and then wait, wait, wait. In two years it transforms into a subtle, smooth delicious drink to share with old friends. 

SPARKLING WINE– The current vintage, 2023, is Frontenac Gris with a touch of Golden Russet. Some skin cotact supplies a blush of color to go with a tight berry like acidity and overall exciting wine. Pet Nat dry. 

Farmhouse Red- a NV blend of Frontenac and Frontenac Gris. Barrel aged for nearly two years and blended for a bright, fruity, medium bodied wine that pairs very, very well with so many meals. 

DRAFT-  A rotating list, mostly very small batch and mostly only available at our orchard tasting room- to go flip top bottles of Draft of your cloice available!  If you see a cider called Whimsy- get it.

Driftwood- A draft blend only made for our friends at Sea Salt

Live at Keepsake- Every so often we make a draft blend and its available at select places in MN.

CANS- We package very small amount in cans.

Forager – A rotating blend made ONLY for on of our favorite places in the world- Forager Brewery.

SemiSweet- (the Orange Can)- Made for the greatest town ball team in the land- Dundas Dukes! Enjy them while watching the game at Memorial Park! Sometimes these cans can be found out in the wild or at the tasting room.  Keep an eye out.

BAGNUMS- If we ge ta worthy blend we put it in 1.5 L bagnums for a still, dry, proper cider. VERY LIMITED.

FOR DISTRIBUTION on all  our ciders and wines- Please Contact NEW FRANCE WINE CO. or give us a call/email.