Award-winning County Cider Company launches new label

The County Cider Company, of Waupoos, is ready for a sparkling summer season with the launch of a new label for its signature cider. The launch comes on the heels of a Best of Show award for its Choa Ice Cider at this spring’s Sixth Annual Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition.
The competition, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, drew 265 entries from a wide swath of North America – from Washington to Nova Scotia and from Quebec to Texas and a significant increase entries from overseas.
The win is even more sweet, says Grant Howes, County Cider Company proprietor, because the barrel for the aged ice cider was created by The Carriage House Cooperage, of Wellington, using local wood.
“We don’t enter many competitions but some of the more significant ones show us how we are doing on a world scale.”
Notwithstanding, the awards for County Cider products have poured in over the years and include the Ontario Premier Award for Agri-Food Innovation; the Toronto Wine and Cheese Best of Show for County’s Cider’s popular Fruit Wine Peach Cider and a Gold Medal for the Ice Cider.
Whimsical graphics of apple related history gives County Cider a fresh new look. Noted designer Bernie Beauregard was inspired to take on the challenge and produced three label designs – the serpent from Adam and Eve; William Tell and Sir Issac Newton. Several of Beauregard’s Brandever wine label designs were featured this spring at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
County Cider is described as a crisp, refreshing, all-natural cider made on the farm with hand-picked apples. It is gently pressed and slowly fermented for unequalled flavour.

The County Cider Company will also see the release this summer of a new line being produced under licence with Southern Cliff Brands, of Caledon. Look for “Pommies” which Howes describes as “a sweeter and lighter cider”.
Over the next few years, the County Cider Company will plant 6,000 trees on the 30-acre property at Waupoos.
“We’re commited to another generation of growing this company into something wonderful,” Howes says. “We’ll be planting everything from the traditional MacIntosh trees to the more rare Brown Snout, Kingston Black and Michelin varieties.
“In recognition of a host of bars and restaurants that are supporters of the local food and beverage movement and are making contributions to people’s awareness, our Plant a Tree program is a continuation of our collecting and cultivating of heritage apple trees over the past 15 years. We’ve planted trees in recognition of local restaurants and chefs who have made reducing your carbon footprint a reality in the marketplace.
The family farm has been producing apples since 1850 and boasts some of the earliest plantings of Ida Reds in Ontario. The County Cider Company grows more than 15 varieties of apples on its two orchards, comprising approximately 40 acres of apple tress and 12 acres of grapes.

Howes, Jennifer Dean and a staff of 20 warmly welcome visitors to the County Cider Company are encouraged them to take advantage of the dramatic view from the patio perched high above Lake Ontario. Nestled among the pretty Shingle Ridge Vineyard it’s the perfect place to enjoy a glass of cider or wine and lunch al fresco.
“Recently, an editor of a national wine magazine visited and he couldn’t believe how vibrant it is here,” said Howes. “Previously he was stopping in Hillier but will be back now that he has seen that there is a lot happening on the south shore.”
The County Cider Company is open from 11 a.m. -5 p.m. daily.