Westcott Bay Orchards

Just about a mile past the historic Roche Harbor lies Westcott Bay – one of the most gorgeous settings in Washington to start a “vineyard” and “winery.” However, Richard and Susan Anderson’s dream did not include your traditional Bordeaux-style wines. Rather their focus is on “Vintage Cider” and their 2-acre vineyard includes 16 varieties of apples with wonderful names like Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Dabinett and Sweet Coppin. These are not your ordinary Safeway apples. One bite of the “spitter” variety will have you doing just that – spit. These European apples offer a balance of tannin, sugar and acid. Under Richard’s care, these apples are blended to create a refreshing drink meant to be enjoyed by itself or paired with light fare.

Westcott Bay Orchards cider relies on 100% fresh pressed apples and possesses a pleasing golden color. Served chilled with cheese, fruit or northwest seafood this slightly sweet (.5% residual sugar) cider makes for a perfect food companion. It’s no surprise that Richard has successfully introduced Westcott Bay Orchard vintage ciders in Seattle-area upscale markets like Whole Foods Markets and Metropolitan Market.

In the Normandy region of France the locals have a love affair with their cider wines. In Washington, there are just a handful of ardent cider wine producers like the Andersons. Given our history with growing excellent apples and our emerging reputation for producing internationally acclaimed wines, it is quite likely that the popularity of this drink will grow. At one time, hard cider was the number one alcohol beverage in the US. Now we can have a glimpse of what previous generations enjoyed through the artisanship of this retired Boeing couple.