Cider production increases tenfold
Nomad Cider is all about exploring the world of cider.
“Our focus is to stylistically represent cider regions from around the world,” said Mike Petkau, who with his wife Danielle Petkau, her sister Lorena Klammer and husband Brad Klammer own and operate Nomad.
The tasting room and a cider apple orchard are located on the Petkaus’ property at 8011 Simpson Road in Summerland.
Their global-concept business started in basements in the Lower Mainland where Mike and Brad made their own beer and later cider.
Several years ago the two couples moved to Summerland and their dream of having their own business began to take shape.
“A cidery made sense because cider is the fastest growing market in the alcohol beverage world,” Mike said.
Nomad opened in spring 2016 and quickly sold out of its 2000 litres of hand-crafted premium cider.
“This year we’re making 20,000 litres—40,000 500 ml bottles—and expanding our market from the Okanagan to include Vancouver, the Island, and Kootenay and Caribou regions,” Danielle said.
The Original, a blend of cider and dessert apples, and The Traditional Dry, made entirely from cider apples, are Nomad’s mainstay products.
Cider apple varieties include bitter-sweet Porter’s Perfection and Dubinnet and spicy aromatic Calville Blanc d’Hiver and dessert varieties Spartan, Salish and Aurora.
Nomad uses its own special process for making all of its products.
After crushing, the juice is left to sit on the skins for 1-2 days and fermentation occurs from two to four months in very cold conditions.
To date Nomad has purchased fruit primarily from Summerland apple producers.
In two to three years, however, cider apples from a 4.3 orchard on the Petkau property and a 4.5 acre orchard owned by friends in Garnet Valley will be available.
Somerset Redstreak, Stoke Red and Michelin are among the varieties being grown.
“They’re semi-dwarfing—small but not sticks like in high density plantings,” Mike said.
Nomad is releasing five, new small-batch ciders this year.
“We’ve just released our Single Barrel Wild Ferment. It’s available in the tasting room for growler fills,” Mike said.
Yeast on the skins of the apples started the fermentation and bulk aging occurred in a Pinot Noir barrel from Blue Mountain Winery.
Nomad will also be releasing cider aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels.
Barrel-aging changes the taste, mouth feel and colour of the cider.
“We’re also in the process of making Bosc pear cider and Spanish style Sidra cider,” Danielle said.
Sidra is characteristically tart, almost entirely flat and cloudy with sediment.
“It goes well with tapas dishes which tend to be high in fat and salt,” Mike said.
Scrumpy, an unfiltered, dry, English farmhouse style cider, is also on this year’s list of releases.
Next year Nomad anticipates offering French-style cider, considered by many connoisseurs to be the world’s best cider.
The complicated process, which is similar to the way champagne is traditionally made, starts with very ripe, bitter-sweet apples.
“Time, money and the paper work involved in setting up and operating a cidery are our biggest challenges,” Mike said.
In a few years, he hopes his only job will be making cider.
Currently, Mike and Brad work fulltime in software.
Danielle and Lorena work parttime in real estate and for the school district, respectively
Mike and Danielle’s three sons, aged 8, 9 and 11 years, help in the orchard and with bottling and labelling.
The two Klammer boys, 2 and 5 years, will be pitching in soon.
Nomad’s tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment.
For additional information visit: www.nomadcider.ca or call 250-469-6601.