CREEK & GULLY
INTERVIEW WITH ANNELISE SIMONSEN OF CREEK & GULLY
GROWN AND MADE ON THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE: NŁEʔKEPMX TMÍXʷ (NLAKA’PAMUX) | SYILX | OKANAGAN
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 849489
2022 CENTURY
Hans Salting, Annelise’s great-great-grandfather, planted these apples between 80 and 107 years ago. The combination of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Macintosh, Spartan, and a mysterious but perfect unnamed cultivar are co-fermented over apple pomace. The cider then finishes fermentation in bottle before being disgorged. Only 175 cases were produced. 7% ABV, 3.6 pH, 1.58g/l RS
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE (AB): $8.00
CSPC: 892940
2022 bittered
For this cuvée they infuse their organic base cider with the zest of grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime from an organic orchard in California resulting in a wildly aromatic, refreshing, and slightly bitter cider. Only 200 flats were produced. 7% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $29.00
CSPC: 849488
2022 AURORA
This cuvée is made by macerating Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese skins from Echo Bay in Golden Delicious cider for seven days to extract both colour and phenolic compounds. It is then bottle conditioned before being disgorged. Only 125 cases were made. 7.2% ABV, 3.8 pH, 1.25g/l RS
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 890623
2020 GOLDIE
This cuvée was fermented and aged in barrel for eight months before bottling. After a year sur lie in bottle to emphasise autolytic characteristics, the wine is disgorged. 8.3% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 849489
2021 PINK LADY
Pink Lady Apples were created by John Cripps, who, while working at the Western Australia Department of Agriculture, crossed Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. They have a notoriously long growing season, sometimes over 200 days from flowering until picking. Its high levels of malic acid help prevent oxidation and protect the finished cider. Fermentation begins in tank, but the cider is bottled before completion to become a petillant naturel. Only 220 cases were produced. 6.9% ABV, 3.78pH, 0.34g/l RS
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 849491
2021 fortuna
This cuvée is made from their most perfect apples. When apples fall out of favour on the fresh fruit market (this year, anything yellow) due to trends, they end up in this cuvée. This wine is made from equal parts Red Delicious, Spartan, Braeburn, and Salish. The cider finishes primary fermentation in bottle before being disgorged. Only 175 cases were produced. 7% ABV, 3.6 pH, 1.58g/l RS
2020 AURORA
This cuvée is made by macerating Syrah skins from Lightning Rock in Golden Delicious cider for ten days to extract both colour and phenolic compounds. It is then bottle conditioned before being disgorged. Only 125 cases were made. 7.2% ABV, 3.8 pH, 1.25g/l RS
rhubarb cider cans
This year, they got their hands on some fresh spring Rhubarb. The stalks were cold pressed to extract the intense saline juice. This was then added to the previous year’s base cider before can conditioning. Only 150 cases were produced. 8.6% ABV, 3.6pH
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $9.00 (473ml)
CSPC: 857352
FLORA CANS
This cuvée is a blend of nearly every apple variety on their farm, 18 in all. After ambient fermentation in tank the cider is canned, unfined and unfiltered. It is then can-conditioned, resulting in a modest carbonation level. They made 500 flats of their take on a dry English Scrumpy. 7.6% ABV, 3.6 pH
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 857349
2020 SWEETHEART
This cuvée was made from Red Delicious Apples. They crush the fruit and allow the juice to ferment outside all winter. The freeze thaw cycle concentrates the flavours, resulting in a caramelized quality. The low carbonation level emphasizes its richness. A small amount of SO2 was added before bottling. 6.3% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $25.00
CSPC: 857350
2022 CRABBY PEAR
This cuvée is made from equal parts Bartlett Pear and Hyslop Crab Apple. Bartletts, originally named Stair’s Pears after the schoolmaster who discovered them in England in 1765, have the quintessential aromatics we associate with pears. Hyslop, a tiny red apple variety originating in Boston, has a wallop of tannin and acid making them an ideal counterpoint to pear’s sweetness. They’re not particularly pleasant to eat raw, and their diminutive stature makes them expensive to harvest, but cider makers really prize what they add to a blend. The pears are crushed and macerated for 24 hours before being pressed off to start fermentation in tank.