By Lindsey Rodrian
Hard cider is all the rage these days, although enjoyment of this apple-based beverage dates back to 55 BC. The English staple is sweeping America, and even taking its own, unique form here in San Joaquin with wine-infused variations. Paul and Michael Scotto, of Lodi’s Scotto Family Wines, teamed to form Cider Brothers, a winemaker’s approach to handcrafted hard ciders.
As the brothers explain, it all starts with cold fermentation of fresh apple juice that captures the delicate and refreshing flavor of this lightly carbonated beverage. Their signature cider, named William Tell, is product of the brother’s very own technique: Frost Fermentation. In order to perfect the William Tell, made from the fresh juice of five different apples and premium California Pinot Grigio, the Scotto’s invented their very own fermentation process allowing character from both the fresh apple and Pinot Grigio to shine, fruitfully, in this creative blend.
As Paul explains, “I chose William Tell as our brand name because he’s the historical figure known for “hitting the bulls eye” when he shot an apple off of his young son’s head with his bow and arrow. When you take your first sip of William Tell, we hope you’ll think we hit the bull’s eye too.”
After sipping this cider, we can’t agree with Paul more. This Lodi cider is taking the trend by storm, taking first at the 2014 Amador County Fair, winning Gold and Best of Show in the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and high praise from The Cider Journal.
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