It was a special Wednesday to me. My friends and I drove two hours to visit a vineyard. It is called Pindar Vineyard. Pindar Vineyard is located at 37645 Main Road Peconic, Long Island, NY, 11958.

After arrived at the vineyard, I saw beautiful clouds above the sky. The vineyard is really big.  As I walked into the vineyard, the whole room was toned and decorated with wood color and all of the wines were represented by categories in grape variety and blends. The employee Terry has assisted us with all our questions. We explained the reason why we were here and she was really kind to help us. However, it was disappointed because Terry told us they do not open tour service until May 27^th. Even though we did not get a chance to visit inside the barrel and the view of the production facility, but Terry tried her best to answer our questions and showed us other things that was interested.

  This image is the tasting room          This image is all kinds of bottle opener

Terry started from introducing the background of vineyard. It was opened in 1979. There were 15 grape varieties are grown in this vineyard: Pindar grows Sauvignon Blanc, pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.  As we walked around the room, we saw that there is a table with many kinds of corkscrew and bottle opener. We also had the opportunity to see the tasting area even though we did not taste the wines. Terry said that if we did the wine tasting, then we could select five different kinds of wine from the menu. There were two wines that Terry recommended to people who try wines for the first time. Scarlett is a red sweeter wine that cost $12.99 and she also recommended Viognier because it is unique and extremely good.

  The vineyard in the Pindar Stainless tanks

After, Terry took us to outside of the vineyard to see the vine. Unfortunately, we did not see any grapes grew. Equipment were not available to see at the moment but we have the opportunity to see the stainless tanks.

Although, the tour is not available we still have a lot fun with this lovely weather. However, I have better understanding of the vineyard and the visuals of how the wine are made. The environment and experience make me want it come back visit again.

https://www.pindar.net/

Angry Orchard Brewery is located on 60 acres of land and is where they brew cider. This brewery is located in Walden, NY in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Lucky for me, this facility is almost in my backyard. The Hudson Valley is known for their apples and their vast fields for growing. This creates a huge variety for visitors, and according to (Crispell 2017), “hard cider in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region runs the gamut from pleasantly fruit-forward to tongue curling bone dry, or those with a bit of interesting funk.” This shows the vast amount of consumers that will be attracted to this region. Most importantly this establishment was chosen for this location because of the ideal weather year round, and the understanding that, like wine grapes, apples for cider will take on the tasting notes of the surrounding areas, soils, climates and more. Something really cool about this facility is that you can self guide yourself throughout the place and enjoy the interactive signs that are very informative and do a great job of selling the brand. As you walk through where they create the cider, there are people everywhere willing to answer questions and get involved. For anyone who does not know what cider is, it is a fermented drink made typically from apples, more commonly referred to as “hard cider”. This drink is beyond a normal apple juice, “cider is usually defined as having an alcohol content of 2 – 8.5 % or higher”(Vitalis, 2010) and this is what the workers at Angry Orchard strive for everyday. Cider is similar to a wine varietal because it is typically made from one dominant apple.

This image is of the entrance of the facility

Just like the vinification behind growing grapes for wine, apples have a similar process. During our tour throughout angry orchard we were informed that there are several different types of apples grown throughout the fields and that some are left to be picked a little later because they develop a more complex aroma and higher sugars. Also similar to grapes, apples are picked, sorted, washed and checked to ensure they are up to standard. After these apples are picked and washed they are then mashed down and pressed to extract all of their juices. The extracted juices are stored in old oak wine barrels. One difference between cider making and wine making is that the cider may have several different ways to ferment which could include wild fermentation, “it is the naturally existing yeast in the air, on vegetation or blowing around in the air” (Chorniak, 2005) which basically is only the use of yeast that is present on the apples. This will give the apples a taste that is specific to the area. This is extremely important in the cider making process. Before bottling the cider, the workers ensure the best filtration process. This area was chosen among several different candidates and was picked to be the best possible growing area for these apples to ensure the best taste qualities within the beverage. This is crucial to the place and the quality of the product and ensuring a constant product that consumers will enjoy and return for more.

This picture shows the oak barrels that the extracted juices from the apples are placed in after fermentation. These barrels are old wine barrels and the cider has the ability to take on the aromas and extract any oak that is leftover in the barrels giving it unique tasting qualities.

After we finished touring the cider facility we were ended by a complimentary tasting. The facility gives you a free three samples and allows you to walk around their beautiful tasting room with your samples. As you walk through they have an indoor area with picnic tables that you can sit at, or you can choose to take your drinks outside and enjoy them around their fire pit and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. I personally enjoy the cider a lot and love being able to relax and unwind in this calming location. Most of the ciders are sweet and have a similar taste to apple juice but others are dry with more sour apple flavors. The color varies between the different types where some are more cloudy, others are more clear with golden colors. Besides the taste and the look, these ciders give off an aroma of fresh sweet smells. Regardless of the cider that you decide to try, the atmosphere that Angry Orchard has created and the idea of learning about what they do along with enjoying yourself is a great way to have a new experience.

An image of the samples they give you after the tour. These were three samples of the 6 options that they offered at the time, they were enjoyed while sitting in the outside seating area.

Overall Angry Orchard is located in a beautiful area with so much to offer. The workers are consistent with their product and have a huge similarity that a wine maker would have with the viticulture of their business. The Hudson Valley is a perfect place year round to have chosen to place this business. With all that this area has to offer and the informational, yet fun and exciting experience you get from Angry Orchard, makes the summer and fall seasons extra special in the Hudson Valley.

A glimpse of the beautiful Hudson Valley along with the vast fields Angry Orchard owns.

In this image you can see the rows of trees that will eventually have apples growing from them.

References:

Crispell, W. (2017). Apples to Apples. Retrieved from: http://hvciderguide.com/apples-to-apples/

Chorniak, J. (2005, October). Wild Yeast: The Pros and Cons of Spontaneous Fermentation. Retrieved from: https://winemakermag.com/758-wild-yeast-the-pros-and-cons-of-spontaneous-fermentation

Vitalis, D. (2010, December 8). Wild Fermented Hard Cider. Retrieved from: http://www.danielvitalis.com/blog/2010/12/wild-fermented-hard-cider

White Noise Coffee Co is located in Auburn, Flushing. White Noise Coffee Co is in partnership with Parlor Coffee. Upon finding this store one day on my way home from work I stopped in and met with the staff. They were very open and friendly. I learned from the staff that the coffee they use is received from Parlor Coffee a roasting company in Brooklyn.

The staff was very knowledgeable of Parlor Coffee’s roasting, they explained that Parlor coffee began in the back of a barbershop.They are a small group of professionals who seek coffee from the origin. They travel on laborious journeys to gather their coffee from a farm based in a west Ethiopian village named Gesha. Gesha consists of semi-arid highlands. Adam Overton’s farm is ingeniously located here right near the border of South Sudan. South Sudan is the birthplace of coffee arabica. David Stalling is one of Parlor Coffee’s green coffee buyers and he visits Adam’s farm to shop for coffee.

Another location where they source coffee beans is in Kenya. John Njoroge is a farmer in Kenya that Parlor Coffee is associated with. In Muranga County the Kenyan Kiumu bean is described as a beautiful flavor with a range of stone fruit, with a touch of succulent citrus and blackberry. John manages a farm of 100 acres of this bean. This is a new export relationship Parlor Coffee formed in June 2016. A second estate in Kenya is the Ibutiti estate. This farm they began sourcing from in 2015. It is located 60 km north of Nairobi. William Murathe has managed the Ibutiti Estate for more than 40 years. His water well, drying beds, and pulping equipment are in top notch shape. He was once involved in the wine and liquor business but now age 84 decides to put all of his time into his coffee farm.

This is a photo taken from the Parlor Coffee website. This image shows the roasting machine they use in Brooklyn.Parlor Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://parlorcoffee.com/blogs/parlor-coffee/a-day-at-pulley-collective

Parlor Coffee has a wide range of coffee beans. A few include Prospect, Wallabout, Ethiopia Kochere, and Burundi Gaharo. The coffees range from $14.00- $16.00 for an 8 ounce bag. Each bag contains a bean from a unique village in Africa or Colombia. The bean that I tasted was Prospect. Prospect is an Ethiopian/Colombian blend and it is White Noise Coffee Co’s signature blend. It has notes of spices, florals, and grapefruit. It is rather bitter but its also smooth and has light hints of cocoa. Having not drank coffee for almost three months this cup had me strung out. It was definitely a high quality bean because after a few sips I could sense a headache. The caffeine was extremely strong in the brew. I really enjoyed the aesthetic of White Noise Coffee Co. It was really relaxing and had couches with pillows, strung lights, and palm trees. This is definitely a place away from NYC, so if you find yourself wanting to escape the city head to Auburn, Flushing and enjoy the feel.

Enjoying the aesthetic of White Noise Coffee CO.

References: 

Parlor Coffee

Parlor Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://parlorcoffee.com/blogs/parlor-coffee/kenya-ibutiti-estate

“Travel Journal From Gesha Village – Parlor Coffee”. Parlorcoffee.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 May 2017.

“Kenya Ibutiti Estate” –Parlor Cofee”. Parlorcoffee.com. N.p. 2017. Web.

27 May 2017

“Parlor Coffee.” About Us – Parlor Coffee. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017. <https://parlorcoffee.com/pages/about-us>.

Prof. Goodlad I used Parlor Coffee’s site to obtain my information about their company and roasting practices. They have a blog where it includes articles about each individual coffee buyers trips to where they get their coffee beans and about the source farm and farmer. There was no other way for me to discover this company information. The information I included in my last paragraph about the beans was from the staff at White Noise Coffee Co including price, taste notes.