Jan 15, 2016Schwartz Orchards wins top honors at Illinois sweet cider contests
The Illinois State Horticulture Society sponsored its annual Illinois and National Sweet Cider Contests and National Hard Cider Contest, held in conjunction with the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference, on Jan. 7 in Springfield, Illinois.
Tom Schwartz of Schwartz Orchards, Centralia, Illinois, produced the No.1 overall rated cider at this year’s contest, repeating his 2014 and 2008 wins in both the national and Illinois contests. He pressed his winning cider for this year’s contests with a bladder press using Jonathan and Fuji apples.
Second Place Illinois Cider and Second Place National Cider went to Joe Ringhausen of Ringhausen Orchards. Trevor Grissom of Grissom’s Lost Creek Orchard won Third Place Illinois Cider. Tom Roney of Tuttle Orchards won Third Place National Cider. Midwest Cider of Merit First Runner-up was awarded to Raoul Bergersen of Valley Orchards. Pat Curran of Curran’s Orchard was awarded the Midwest Cider of Merit Second Runner-up, and the Midwest Cider of Merit Third Runner-up went to Craig Tanner of Tanner’s Orchard.
Grissom’s Lost Creek Orchard took First Place National Hard Cider, making this its fifth time taking top honors in this category. Trevor Grissom produced his winning cider for this year’s contest with a combination of GoldRush, Golden Delicious, Gala and Jonagold apples.