Nothing says “I love you” like red cider

Forget red wine! This year, bring your Valentine some cider to pair with the chocolate. No, it’s not food coloring! These ciders are made with red fleshed apples. These apples get their color from Anthocyanins, pigments that also cause things like raspberries to be red. First, a small history lesson of apples that made these…

Forget red wine! This year, bring your Valentine some cider to pair with the chocolate.

No, it’s not food coloring! These ciders are made with red fleshed apples. These apples get their color from Anthocyanins, pigments that also cause things like raspberries to be red.

First, a small history lesson of apples that made these ciders. Many of these are “single varietal”, meaning it only contains one type of apples rather than being a blend. The two apples that primarily appear in these ciders are:

Niedzwetzkyana

Native to areas like mountainous Kazakhstan, this apple is both deep scarlet in skin and flesh (and hard to spell!). Introduced to the west in the late 1800s, several orchards in the Pacific Northwest now grow it. Only a few trees survive in their native homeland.

Airlie Red / Mountain Rose / Hidden Rose®

This apple goes by three names. It was originally discovered in Airlie, Oregon in the 1960s. That varietal was patented as the Hidden Rose®. Using grafted cuttings, this apple is now being grown in many other orchards in the Pacific Northwest under the name Mountain Rose or Airlie Red. It’s usually got green and pink skin with pink flesh inside.

Red-Fleshed Apple • Tieton Cider Works

Tieton, WA

A glass of cider sits next to a can of Red-Fleshed Apple Hard Cider from Tieton Ciderworks, surrounded by rose petals.

This cider is the new kid on the block, being released for the first time in January 2024. If you tend toward semi-sweet modern ciders, you’ll enjoy this. It’s a fine addition to Tieton Cider’s lineup. It is a blend of apples, including niedzwetzkyana. I didn’t detect any tannins and the acid is very mellow. It smelled like raspberry jam on toast. Tasting notes included rhubarb, cherry and cranberry.

Rosé • Alma Cider

Skagit Valley, WA

A bottle of Rosé from Alma Cider lays sideways surrounded by rose petals.

This cider won a medal from Sip Magazine in 2023, and it’s easy to understand why. This delicious drink is a single varietal of Mountain Rose apples. While semi-dry, it gives lots of bold fruit flavors including strawberry and watermelon. The acids and tannins are well balanced and would pair well with cheesecake.

2022 Orchard Reserve Red • Peak Light Cider

Sauvie Island, OR

A glass of cider sits in front of a bottle of Orchard Reserve Red Cider from Peak Light Cider, surrounded by chocolates, rose petals and strawberries.

This cider blends Niedzwetzkyana and other red fleshed varietals (Bedford Red Fleshed, Almata, and Firecracker) grown on their farm. It’s fermented totally dry, but the effervescence cuts through the acidity and the decent presence of tannins give it body. Notes include pomegranate, apple skin, twigs, rose, cherry and plum. This would pair well with a rich dinner.

Rosé • Aval Cider

Brittany, France

A glass of cider sits on a wood table next to a bottle of Rosé from Avalons Cider, surrounded by rose petals.

This cider is made primarily with Baya Marisa apples. To be transparent, they did add grape skins to obtain the pink hue. On the nose, you get pastry dough, honey and raspberry. Tasting notes included tangerine and red currant. This one is semi-sweet and although low in tannin, it’s well balanced and feels very French. I would pair it with a nice, creamy brie.

2018 Mountain Rose SV • Art + Science Cider

Sheridan, OR

A glass of cider sits next to a bottle of 2018 Mountain Rose Single Varietal Cider by Art + Science Cider, with roses on a table.

What I respect about Art + Science is their authenticity to self and apples. The back of the bottle informs the consumer that not all red fleshed apple juice results in red hues. Rather than adding color, they embrace it for what is it. This is further supported by their natural yeast fermentation. This was more tannic than I expected, which I realized later came from barrel aging. The whole thing feels very “them,” creating a complex, product with a touch of residual sugar. Notes include grapefruit, orchard floor, pineapple, and raspberry.

Mountain Rose • Bauman’s Cider

Gervais, OR

A bottle of Mountain Rose from Bauman's Cider lays sideways on a table next to some roses.

This is a new year of an old favorite. This semi-dry cider gives notes of slate, apple skin and pomegranate. The aromatics are phenomenal, with lots of bright pear, rose and yellow apple. I suspect that this iteration, like the previous version, was aged in Riesling barrels which would explain the pear notes. It’s mid-low in tannin with a medium acidity and totally delicious.

2020 Airlie Red • Peak Light Cider

Sauvie Island, OR

A glass of cider sits in front of a bottle of Airlie Red from Peak Light Cider and a bunch of roses.

Another from Peak Light! This cider is awesome. It’s an Airlie Red single varietal aged in pinot noir barrels to bring out soft tannins and some malolactic fermentation, which complements the medium acidity. It smells like buttered biscuits, watermelon and raspberry. A slight sweetness brings out warm fruit, tasting of oak, grape, and baked strawberry pastries.

Glow • Alpenfire Cider

Port Townsend, WA

A bottle of Glow from Alpenfire Cider sits on a table surrounded by rose petals, chocolate and strawberries.

If you read my Best of 2023 post, you’ll be familiar with this one. It’s won numerous awards, including coveted Best of Show at the Northwest Cider Cup and a couple double golds. Made with only Airlie Red apples, it’s got great acidity and slight sweetness that brings out tropical and red fruit notes like strawberry, rhubarb and raspberry.

This article was edited January 8th, 2024 to clarify that Bedford Red Fleshed, Almata, and Firecracker are varietals separate from Neidzwetzkyana. Thanks to expert orchardist Y. Dave Klawer from Alma Cider for keeping me honest!

Esters