004: Nick Gunn and Dave White | West Coast Ciders

Gunn and White on a Cider Road Trip

Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider and Wandering Aengus in Oregon (as of 2024 both cideries have closed – Nick is now with BenchGraft a cider consulting business) and Dave White, Whitewood Cider in Washington sat back for a chat about west coast ciders and the cider trend in the US

Nick Gunn has been in the cider business for eleven years working two labels: Anthem Cider and Wandering Anegus. He is married to Mimi Casteel the winemaker and member of the founding family at Bethel Heights Vineyard. Says Nick, “Winemaking is basically same thing as cider making. We are making a tank fermented chardonnay more or less, but are using apples instead of grapes.”

Dave White started the cider blog “Old Time Cider Blog” years ago, but knew he was always destine to make his own cider commercially. He launched Whitewood Cider Company, in Olympia Washington in 2012. Dave describes Whitewood as a nano cidery.

l to r, Dave White of Whitewood Cider Co. Olympia Oregon and Nick Gunn of Anthem Cider & Wandering Aengus Salem Oregon at CiderDays 2015

Nick and Dave discuss:

• The Northwest Cider Association (NWCA)
• The US Association of Cider Makers (USACM), now called The American Cider Association
• The Cider ACT
• Cider wiki – cider maker’s tool kit
• Dealing with regulations: Carbonation levels in cider and how this impacts cider makers in the US.
• Oregon being the first state to allow cider in growlers
• Northwest Mobile Juicing
• And where to go when you land in either Portland Oregon or Tacoma Washington when looking for a lass of cider.

Gunn and White West Coast Cider Bar Recommendations

• Cider Bite
• Bushwacker Portland – now closed
• Rev Nat’s Taproom – now closed
• Portland Cider House

Washington Cider Bars:

• Capital Cider – Capital Hill Seattle
• Shilling Ciderhouse – Fremont

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Book Links From Peter Montgomery,
  • A Potted History of Fruit (2011) Mike Darton
  • The Perfect Fruit: Good Breeding. Bad Seeds, and the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot, (2009)  Chip Brantley
• Contact Peter at: Montgomery Orchards LLC: Heirloom Apples and Orchards
  • [email protected]