The Story of Sparkling Perry 2020

Former intern Matt Moser-Miller returned to the Finger Lakes in the fall of 2020 to once again forage for pears. At the end of two months of foraging, his phone had recorded 150 miles of walking (half of it carrying 60lbs of pears in sacks).

Combing the hills for exceptional pear individuals requires a keen eye for noticing fruit from a distance as well as an intuition about when that fruit will be ripe and the discipline to show up when it is. The benefits are two-fold. First, we have this 100% wild foraged perry to share with you. Second, we have a pile of pear pommace (the pulp, skins and seeds left over after pressing) which is now sprouting out by the compost pile. Progeny of trees that have some collection of traits which allowed them to thrive and grow to maturity here in the finger Lakes region.

This Perry was made from a blend of batches of wild pears harvested throughout the 2020 growing season. They were fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel and neutral oak. Some of the batches underwent a partial malo-lactic fermentation. The perry was bottled with a tirage and underwent a secondary fermentation.

~Autumn Stoscheck Cider Maker/ Orchardist