Local tops in apple cider competition

Atlas Twp.- Third generation apple grower Ray Porter says making cider is simple’it’s 50 percent art, 50 percent science.
‘A simple process’it’s just apple juice,? said Porter, owner of Porter’s Orchard, 12060 Hegel Road. ‘You can’t have apples that are overripe’or too tart. It’s a blend of apples and weather conditions, and the time of year can change the outcome of the product.?
Regardless of the mix or method’Porter’s cider impressed the taste buds and was chosen second place from a field of 30 entries during Michigan’s 12th Annual Apple Cider Contest, which took place during the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo conference earlier this month in Grand Rapids.
‘It’s an honor to be selected,? said Porter. ‘With more than 120 cider mills statewide, there’s lots of good cider out there.?
Porter said each entry is rated by nine judges on: appearance and color, aroma and bouquet, acidity and sweetness, sugar/acid balance, body, flavor, finish and overall quality.
Porter, 49, started making cider about 35 years ago, learning the trade from his father, Roger, who died in 2005.
‘I was about 16-years-old when I started working with the cider press’but I was 20 before I started blending the apples to get the right taste. Then one day my dad tasted my cider and said, ‘you got it.? That was 30 years ago.?
The Michigan Apple Cider Contest was started in 1997 to honor the tradition of great-tasting cider from Michigan and to generate friendly competition amongst the state’s cider-makers. The contest is sponsored by the Michigan Apple Committee and the Michigan State Horticultural Society, and is organized by Michigan State University Extension.