Carrie Uffindell

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December 8, 2015 by Carrie

Hood River Valley Cideries

Oregon’s fertile Hood River Valley is rapidly becoming a hard and sweet cider hotspot, thanks to the area’s 15,000 acres of orchards and a new generation of innovative cidermakers. Located about 60 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge, the valley is now home to eleven (and counting) working craft cideries, many of which welcome you to stop by and sample the fruits of their labor.

The Gorge White House, photo by Carrie Uffindell
The Gorge White House, photo by Carrie Uffindell

At Draper Girls Country Farm, enjoy sweet or fresh (non-alcoholic) cider as well as the hard stuff. Owner and orchardist Theresa Draper specializes in making the only licensed, unpasteurized sweet cider in the valley. All fruits are grown and cold-pressed by hand at the farm; flavors include apple, cherry and pear. More ciders offerings and a tasting room are currently in the works.

Fox-Tail Cider is more brash and European in style; hard ciders are dry with low carbonation and are fermented with farmhouse and commercial yeasts. In their family-friendly taproom, you’ll find Fox-Tail’s five standard ciders on tap, including a double-fermented Irish-style cider and a raspberry-infused cider, along with seasonal offerings.

Mountain View Orchards grows more than 80 varieties of apples and pears. This 53-acre multi-generational family farm has offered homemade sweet ciders at their seasonal farm stand since the 1970s. They are now taking steps to make hard cider as well, breaking ground this summer on a new cider production building.

Old Style Rack and Cloth Cider Press, photo courtesy of Rack & Cloth
Old Style Rack and Cloth Cider Press, photo courtesy of Rack & Cloth

Rack & Cloth is named for the traditional press that co-owner and cidermaker Silas Bleakley uses to crush the apples for his dry, elegant ciders. The juice is then fermented in oak barrels for up to three months, allowing the flavors to evolve. Sample Bleakley’s two flagship ciders at the Rack & Cloth Mercantile, a cheery yet casual tasting room located in downtown Mosier.

Gorge Cyder House at the Ovino Market has sold hand-crafted old world-style ciders since 2010. Owner and cidermaker Stefan Guemperlein favors natural fermentation and a long aging process, at least one year. The results are dry, full-bodied ciders, including the Knee Drop Hopped, a hop-infused cider that has a distinctly nutty finish.

Gorge White House is a family-owned, century-old working farm named for its distinctive c. 1908 Dutch colonial house. You can sample their hard ciders and perries in the newly renovated beer and cider tasting room. Styles and flavors range in sweetness and finish, from the bright yet dry New Town Apple to the sweet and refreshing Lemon Perry.

This article was originally published in the September/October issue of Northwest Travel & Life Magazine. 

Filed Under: Bites & Pours, Hard Cider, New Articles

May 15, 2015 by Carrie

New Article for CIDERCRAFT Magazine

CIDERCRAFT Magazine Summer/Fall IssueCider making is a family affair for David and Robert Cordtz of Sonoma Cider, located in Healdsburg, CA. Interested in learning more about this father and son team as well as their innovative ciders? Then check out my Q&A with the Cordtz in the Summer/Fall 2015 of CIDERCRAFT Magazine. (Isn’t the cover gorgeous?) I can’t wait to read all the excellent articles in this issue!

Filed Under: Hard Cider, New Articles

April 6, 2015 by Carrie

Research & Pitch: High Desert-Bend OR

Hiking at Smith Rock State Park
My husband at Smith Rock State Park in Terrebonne, OR.

Interested in writing about Oregon’s High Desert region? If so, here’s a list of article idea-starters in and around the Bend area that I wrote for the Northwest Travel Writers Conference. Are you an aspiring or veteran travel writer looking to connect with editors, writers and travel professionals? There’s still time to register for the Northwest Travel Writers Conference, Travel and Words, will be held April 26-27 at Sunriver Resort, Bend, OR.

Filed Under: New Articles, Travel & Words

January 2, 2015 by Carrie

Eclectic Eats in Portland, OR

Butifarra, photo courtesy of Las Primas Peruvian Kitchen
Butifarra, standard Peruvian street fare. Photo courtesy of Las Primas Peruvian Kitchen.

Craving a juicy Peruvian sandwich, fresh baked oysters or sizzling bacon-wrapped dates in Portland’s bustling N Williams neighborhood? Then check out my latest article for NW Travel Magazine: Eclectic Eats on Portland’s N Williams Avenue. These excellent eateries are all located within two blocks of one another in this bustling neighborhood filled with eco-friendly buildings and unique shops. For more info on the Mississippi/Williams neighborhood, you can visit Travel Portland.

Filed Under: New Articles

April 24, 2013 by Carrie

Three Great Walks on the Wales Coast Path

Interested in walking the Wales Coast Path but don’t know where to start? Check out these three great walks in my latest article for EuropeUpClose.

All_wales_path
Photo by Hogyn Lleol

The 870-mile Path is the first of its kind–a continuous path following the entire Welsh coastline from Queensferry in North Wales to Chepstow in the southeast. The Coast Path, completed in 2012, is actually a collection of linked trails, from the long-established Pembrokeshire Coast Path to the newer North Wales Path. Interested in walking a section of the Path but uncertain where to start? Here are three day walks sure to please trekkers of all ages, including families with young children…

Like to read more? You can read the rest of the article here.

Filed Under: New Articles

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Email: writer@carrieuffindell.com

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