Complementing The View Winery’s line-up of crisp, fruity wines made from its aromatic grape varietals, is handcrafted apple cider. Wards Picker’s Hut Premium Cider is made in honour of the family’s apple-growing history and the hard-working men and women that hand pick the fruit each year. Apples have been grown on the property since 1918 and The View’s building is the original Wards Packing House built in the 1920s to service local growers.
Though the fruit used for Picker’s Hut are specific European cider apple varieties now grown on the family estate. In the early days traditional apple varieties such as Spartan, Macintosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith were grown for the fresh fruit market. However, the Turton/Ward family recognized a need to diversify in the 1980s and started planting European cider apple varieties such as Belle de Boskoop, Jersey Chisel, Bulmers Norman and Cox’ Pippin Orange. These apples are typically high in acid and tannin and are horrible to eat but make delicious, flavourful, crisp and aromatic cider.
You can visit The View’s wine Shop and Tasting Room which is located just minutes from downtown and open daily from 11:30 am to 7 pm. In addition to delicious bubbly, white, red and rosé wines and spritzers, you’ll find Wards Picker’s Hut Premium Cider. Wards is also available in select liquor stores and restaurants. If you can resist drinking it all, try it in your barbecued ribs recipe and enhance a food pairing that’s perfect for cooler autumn evenings.
~ Roslyne Buchanan