Pine Grove Area Farm Takes 2nd Place in PA Farm Show Cider Competition

A farm in the Pine Grove area took 2nd place in the 2020 PA Farm Show Cider Competition.

Stone Mountain Wine Cellar, part of Jersey Acre Farms in Washington Township, took the runner-up prize in the Modern Cider-Sweet category for its Stone Mountain Cowboy blend at the Farm Show.

The winner in the category is Arsenal Cider House, Pittsburgh, for its Event Blend. Lancaster County Cider in Manheim finished 3rd in the category.

2020 PA Farm Show Cider Competition

“We are very excited and feel accomplished and a bit shocked at our second place finish,” Holly Konkus, the store manager at Stone Mountain Wine Cellars, tells The Canary.

This is the first time the local farm entered Stone Mountain Cowboy in the competition at the Farm Show. However, this blend did earn a medal previously from the Pennsylvania Winery Association.

According to information from the Farm Show, the 2020 Cider Competition had 101 entries in 9 categories:

• Modern dry
• Sweet
• Heritage
• Sour
• Fruit
• Hopped
• Spiced
• Dessert
• Wood-aged

The ciders in this year’s contest got judged in December by experts from California, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Winning ciders were all produced using Pennsylvania fruit. Visitors to the 2020 PA Farm Show have a chance to sample the winning ciders, including that from Stone Mountain Wine Cellar, at the Main Hall’s Cider Garden.

Cider sales from Pennsylvania cideries totaled $25.6 million in 2016, alone. And Pennsylvania is the 6th largest producer of cider in the country.

2020 PA Farm Show Cider Competition – Winners

This is the 3rd year for the Cider Competition at the PA Farm Show.

Here’s a look at who won in 2020:

Modern Cider- Dry

1. Northern Spy – Wyndridge Farm, Dallastown, York County
2. British Imposter – Good Intent Cider, Bellefonte, Centre County
3. Modern Sparkling – Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County

Modern Cider- Sweet

1. Event Blend – Arsenal Cider House, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2. Stone Mountain Cowboy – Stone Mountain Wine Cellar, Pine Grove, Schuylkill County
3. Sweet – Lancaster County Cider, Manheim, Lancaster County

Heritage Cider

1. Stark – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County
2. Dolgo – Big Hill Ciders, Gardners, Adams County
3. Rosedale – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County

Sour Cider

1. Wild Jonagold- Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
2. Viejo- Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
3. Farmhouse- Frecon’s Cidery, Boyertown, Berks County

Fruit Cider

1. Cherry Pie- Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County; Pitch- Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (tie)
2. Pineapple X-Press – Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County
3. Bluebird – Ploughman Farm Cider, Aspers, Adams County; Cidre Cherry – Frecon’s Cidery, Boyertown, Berks County (tie)

Hopped Cider

1. Hopped – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2. Hopped – Godfrey Run Cider Mill, Lake City, Erie County
3. Earth – Kurant Cider, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County

Spiced Cider

1. Bouquet de Rose – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
2. Fall Spice – Threadbare Cider, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
3. Grants Flying Pumpkin – Arsenal Cider House, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County

Wood Aged Cider

1. Outpost- Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
2. King in Arms – Dressler Estate, Downingtown, Chester County
3. North Meets South – Good Intent Cider, Bellefonte, Centre County; Barrel Aged Reserve – Big Hill Ciderworks, Gardners, Adams County (tie)

Dessert Cider

1. Pommeau – Wyndridge Farm, Dallastown, York County
2. Honey Pommeau – Deep Roots Hard Cider, Sugar Run, Bradford County
3. Ice Cider – Stone & Key Cellars, Montgomery, Montgomery County

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