Take a sip of Still River Winery’s Apfel Eis wine and find yourself transported to an apple orchard on a crisp fall day. That magical effect has been achieved, if awards and accolades are any testament, by the Holtzman family of Harvard.

Wade and Margot Holtzman, with help from their son Leif, have made the leap from conception to perfection with their unique version of apple ice wine, which they produce at their winery here in Harvard.

As previously reported in the Press ( “Business Brief: A winery is born in Harvard,” June 2009), the Holtzman family visited Quebec a few years ago and happened to taste an ice wine made from apples. Traditional ice wine, also known as eiswein, is made from grapes that have remained on the vine past the first frost. When the grapes freeze, the frozen water crystals separate out, resulting in a juice that contains more sugar, acid, and flavor than regular wine.

If the painstakingly complex, time-consuming process of fermenting this concentrated grape “must” is done properly, it produces a deliciously sweet, if expensive, wine.

Eiswein made from apples was created by a French winemaker who had emigrated to Quebec. He reasoned that the apple was more “at home” than was the grape on Canadian soil, and would, therefore, result in a better product. He was correct.

Upon tasting the Canadian apple ice wine, the Holtzmans had a similar epiphany. If apples that were grown in Canada could produce a pleasing ice wine, didn’t it stand to reason that apples from the heart of apple country in central Massachusetts—which happens to have the most ideal soil, climate, and hours of sunlight to grow delicious apples—would produce a remarkably better one? They returned home determined to give it a try.

After researching the methodologies for creating ice wine and obtaining raw pressed apples from local cider producers, the Holtzmans produced a small batch to try with friends. An enthusiastic response over the taste and quality of the wine convinced the Holtzman family they were on to something that deserved serious pursuit.

The challenge was to create a process to separate the water crystals from the cider before it began fermentation. They settled on a separation process that reduces five gallons of cider to one gallon. The five-gallon glass containers (called carboys) are a far cry from the 250-gallon tanks used by commercial producers, and the glass allows one to see what’s going on inside the bottle.

“We concentrate by freezing,” said Margot Holtzman. “Freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw, each time removing the clear ice, which is water.” When asked about the difference between the frozen juice and frozen water, she explained that it’s a property of physics that when the juice is thawing the clear ice (water) stays frozen longer than the juice, so they can just physically take it out. Then the cider goes into the carboys, where it gets inoculated with the yeast, which acts on the natural sugars to create alcohol.

“Any other sweet wine, such as a Riesling, has sugar added to it,” she said. “We don’t need to do that, because it’s so concentrated.”

Holtzman added that it is not even legal to add sugar to wines labeled as ice wines.

After the fermentation is on its way, the carboys go into a cold room for a long slow fermentation, which preserves the natural flavors. When this step is complete, 10 carboys at a time are combined to create a consistent product, as each one individually is a living thing and therefore a little different.

Fermentation itself takes place over months, at very cold temperatures, to preserve delicate flavors and aromas that would disappear if fermentation occurred more quickly at warmer temperatures

The Holtzmans found that using a special yeast that can withstand very cold temperatures allowed them to ferment the wine over long periods in small batches, an important aspect of not having to add sugar (which is typically added to most wines and ciders made from apples) either before or after fermentation.

After cold fermentation is complete, each carboy is taken out to “sit on its lees (sediment) for a few weeks.” Sulfites are added to stop the fermentation, but the amount is only a fraction of what is normally added to a fruit wine.

The small size of the carboys allows for careful transferring to a tank (leaving most of the sediment in the containers). From there the wine goes through a series of “plate filters,” (sheets of cellulose) which filter out the finer particles. First the wine passes through 15 sheets of large- to medium-grade filters, then again through 15 sheets of medium to fine filters. This process is called “fining,” and in a large-scale commercial production, it would be done using a clay-like substance called bentonite to “scrub” the wine and only the large particles would be filtered out.

Here the Holtzmans have added another layer of filtering for a very pure product; just before bottling, the wine goes through an “ultra-sterile cartridge.” Margot Holtzman explained that the pores in this cartridge are “.2 microns, so no bacteria can get through; no stray yeast cell can get through.”

The reason for this extra precaution is so they can use a very small amount of sulfites and not worry that any yeast will remain to act on the sugars, which would create a much higher percentage of alcohol.

In September 2008, the Holtzmans took their creation to the Newport Wine Festival, where they received a very good reception, giving them the confidence to expand their production and look for retailers in Massachusetts while obtaining a license to distribute nationally. Since then, Apfel Eis has received several prestigious national and international awards, which are listed on their website, www.stillriverwinery.com.

When the Press first spoke with the Holtzmans, their operation was very small. There was a single cold room for fermentation, the size of a closet, and from that they were producing about 400 cases a year. Since then they have expanded their production space to accommodate two large cold rooms and several large freezers; they have quadrupled their production, and have one full-time employee outside the family.

“This is it,” said Margot Holtzman. “This is as big as we want to get; any bigger and it will just start to get like a factory, and we don’t want to do that.”

When asked if there was any interest in selling globally, she said they do get inquiries, but they don’t want the hassle of the licensing and the bureaucracy.

Each batch of Apfel Eis is made from a blend of local varietal apples, and over 80 apples go into the making of each bottle. And now the Holtzmans have created a sparkler, from the same wine.

Leif had requested the sparkler for his wedding; feedback was again positive, and now they are adding it to the product line.

“The process of carbonation does make it a bit drier,” Margot said.

Over 400 retailers now sell Apfel Eis. Harvard resident Steve Pope, wine consultant at Lower Falls Wine Company in Newton, said, “We sold quite a bit of the Apfel Eis at Thanksgiving and got great feedback. It’s local, it’s different, and it’s delicious without being too sweet. I did think it showed better nicely chilled. I had some that had warmed up a little and it didn’t have quite the pop of flavor.”

The Holtzman family is clearly proud of their enormously successful creation and have reached the level of output where they are comfortable. Wade continues to run his antique furniture repair business, and Margot still teaches.

When asked about the dynamics of running a business as a family, Margot said, “Running our business as a family is just one more bond that keeps us close, particularly for the past year and a half, when Leif has been in California. We all have very different strengths and respect these in each other. Wade is totally the hands-on guy, Leif knows about business strategy, and I do well dealing with customers.”

Despite the amount of work involved, “if we keep it at this size, it will still be fun,” said Margot, rolling her eyes just a bit.

Drink Your Apples

Entering Still River Winery’s production facility makes you wonder, for a fleeting moment, whether you have fallen down the rabbit hole. Descending the worn ramp into the basement where Wade, Margot, and son Leif Holtzman produce apple ice wine is not the typical winery experience. But neither is this a booze-in-the-bathtub operation. Here in Harvard, in the middle of apple country, the Holtzmans have outfitted a 1,500-square-foot facility with high-tech “cold rooms” and enough equipment to make a mad scientist blush; there are blocks of frozen cider thawing, vats of wine slowly fermenting, bottles being filled with the finished product. Solar panels outside supply 25 percent of the operation’s electricity.

And what comes out of this place is bliss in a glass. With a pristine flavor that is not quite cider, not quite apple juice, and not quite apple wine, the Holtzmans’ Apfel Eis is sweet and tart without the fire of apple spirits like Calvados or the tang of hard cider.

Having made their first batch only three years ago, the Holtzmans and their one full-time employee, Ted Sawyer, are making inroads quickly. Their wine, which retails for $25 per 375-milliliter bottle, is sold in more than 400 stores and restaurants in New England.

Returning from a trip to Quebec’s Ice Hotel in 2007, Wade and Margot stopped at a duty-free shop for a bottle or two of eiswein (made from grapes purposely left on the vine to freeze), which they had enjoyed for years. They also noticed cidre de glace, a Canadian specialty wine made from frozen cider and developed in the 1990s; they took a couple of bottles home.

“We fell in love with it,” Margot says. Although neither is sure which of them first suggested they make their own apple ice wine, the quest began. As home beer brewers, Wade and Leif (now studying for his MBA at Stanford) tried every method of production, even freezing whole apples, before research and trial and error brought them to their current recipe, which calls for a proprietary blend of cider from Central Massachusetts apples, about 80 of them per bottle; they now produce 19,200 bottles a year. An antique furniture restorer, Wade says he’s a tinkerer by nature and truly delights in the process. “Everyone wants to be the boss and not the worker,” he says. “I am the other way around.”

Each week, year-round, the Holtzmans haul 150 gallons of unpasteurized pressed cider from Box Mill Farm in Stow. Every 4½ gallons of juice goes into a 5-gallon plastic jug, which is frozen and then slowly defrosted.

“What drips first is the very rich concentrated juice,” says Margot. The process is repeated twice, reducing the initial 4½ gallons of juice down to a single gallon. Unlike hard cider or other fruit wines, Apfel Eis has no added sugar. Concentrating the juice concentrates the sweetness. The concentrated juice is poured into 5-gallon glass carboys and inoculated with yeast, which converts the natural juice sugars to alcohol, then placed in one of three cold rooms that maintain an ideal fermentation temperature of 50 degrees. It takes about three months to bring the alcohol level to 12 percent.

Finally, the cloudy, cider-colored fermented juice is ready, and sulfites are added to stop fermentation. The juice “sits on its lees” – that cloudy matter, actually yeasts and tiny bits of ground apple from the cider-making process – for two weeks to develop a deeper flavor before being transferred to 50-gallon stainless-steel tanks. After three to four weeks there, it is filtered twice to achieve a crystal-clear gold color. The bottling and corking is done one bottle at a time at least three times a month. Labels, designed by Leif, are attached.

“We are at a perfect size right now,” Margot says of the 1,600 cases they produce each year. “We could do tons more, but we couldn’t do it the way we do it. Everything is necessary to make the wine what it is.”

The winery is part of a statewide trend. According to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the state is now home to 44 licensed farmer wineries, more than triple the number in 1994. The state’s wineries handcraft and bottle wine and hard cider from fruits including grapes, apples, blueberries, and cranberries.

State Agricultural Commissioner Scott Soares is not surprised that consumers are supporting new local products like apple ice wine. “The Commonwealth is known for its great agricultural soils and regions,” he says. “We are a small state, but the diversity in products is fabulous.”

The Holtzmans may be content with the size of their winery, but not the status quo. Having created a sparkling version of Apfel Eis for Leif’s wedding last year, they hope to get the sparkler on their retailers’ shelves before Thanksgiving. Recent legislation allows licensed farmer wineries to sell at farmers’ markets, so they participated in 14 this summer (and plan to continue at several winter farmers’ markets, including Natick’s), adding another layer to their work of juggling orders, distribution, and winemaking. But with summers off from her full-time job as a learning specialist at the Cambridge Friends School, Margot enjoyed interacting with customers and witnessing the connection of raw material, product, and consumer.

“Being part of the local community,” says Leif, “using local resources, and taking part in local fund-raisers and farmers’ markets is an extremely important part of Still River Winery. Our hope is that fellow New Englanders appreciate the fact that our wine is produced so close to where they live, with 100 percent of the fruit grown in local orchards.”

Meet Kate Webber, Owner & Wine Director, Gibbet Hill Grill

Kate Webber’s extensive wine knowledge and expertise made her the perfect sommelier to review Still River Winery’s New! Sparkling Apple Ice Wine.

During our conversation, Kate also shared insights on Webber Restaurant Group, how she’s blended her Masters in creative writing with a career in wine, and remarks on what’s it like being a woman making her mark in Boston’s wine world.

Can you talk about the holdings and history of the Webber Restaurant Group?

“Many people are interested to learn the pronunciation of the restaurant name, which is JIB-bet. It’s an old English term for a gallows or hangman’s noose. Webber Restaurant Group includes Groton’s Gibbet Hill Grill & The Barn at Gibbet Hill, Hingham’s Scarlet Oak Tavern, Burlington’s Fireside Catering, and we manage Beverly’s The Estate at Moraine Farm, Harvard’s Fruitlands Museum, and LaBelle Winery in Amherst, NH.

On Webber Restaurant Group

“The Webber Restaurant Group is a family-owned and operated business that was made possible by my father Steven Webber who in 2000 purchased a 338-acre farm in Groton, MA, plus an adjacent 188-acre orchard. The motivation for the purchase was not to enter the restaurant business but to prevent imminent and unwanted residential development.

In 2004 my brothers Josh, Jed and I opened the steakhouse called Gibbet Hill Grill on the property. We fashioned a 100-year-old New England style barn on the farm into the restaurant. Shortly afterwards, we opened The Barn at Gibbet Hill, a function facility in a similarly restored barn next door.

I may be biased saying this, but my brothers Jed and Josh are brilliant businessmen. We’re all working hard to grow Webber Restaurant Group intelligently. Admittedly, I have the best job in the world as Wine Director and just love working with my family.”

The Webber Family:  Leaders in the Farm to Fork Movement

All of our operations are run with the principal of using local farms for as much of our sourcing as possible. We believe that in season, New England products cannot be beat in taste and freshness, and we are committed to bringing that bounty to our customers.

In 2009 we increased our level of commitment in the farm-to-fork philosophy and hired a Farm Manager to plant two acres of produce to be used in the Grill and Barn. Today over 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, beets, cucumbers, greens, beans, peppers, herbs, edible flowers, and many other crops are grown and served in our operations.”

So we’ve successfully designed a system where most of our produce in season comes from our own Gibbet Hill Farm in Groton. However, we round out our purchasing by having partnerships throughout the New England farming community so we can access the broadest range of local ingredients.”

What do you think of our New! Sparkling Apple Ice Wine?

“I love it, it’s great! Even with my wine studies and the judging I’ve done at competitions, this was surprisingly the first sparkling apple ice wine I’d ever had. When I had my first taste, I started thinking about what a terrific alternative this wine would be to replace Moscato d’Asti, which is a sparkling white wine from Italy that is popular, low in alcohol and often enjoyed with desserts.

In many ways, this sparkling version of Apfel Eis is more interesting than an Italian sparkling wine because of the crisp apple flavor which is deliciously unique, elegant and comforting at the same time.

I opened a bottle to pour for Gibbet Hill associates and everyone was taken with it. One of the staff was so crazy about it they lobbied and won the chance to take the rest of the bottle home.

The sparkling version of Apfel Eis is a winning proposition for our restaurant because it’s a product our customers are guaranteed to enjoy, and it fits with our values to celebrate outstanding local products whenever we can.”

What’s it like serving our flagship Apfel Eis at Gibbet Hill?

“We’ve featured Still River’s apple ice wine since its first year on the market. It’s always on our wine list and I order it by the case. We always have it available because our restaurant patrons love it and we enjoy selling it.

I serve the wine with confidence because The Holtzman family has a golden reputation for consistently meeting the challenge of producing a dessert wine that delivers a “not too sweet” tartness, achieved through “just right” acidity.

In fact, I often put Apfel Eis on the menus of our summer wine dinners at Gibbet Hill. We hold these events on our deck where diners gain views of Gibbet Hill Farm. As I walk from table to table discussing the menu, it is a pleasure for our guests to actually see the farmland. And, people are so interested to learn that Apfel Eis is wine made from local apples right in nearby Harvard, MA.

Both varieties of Apfel Eis pair wonderfully with stone fruit desserts, like cobblers. We also recommend it with elegant offerings, like pear tart.”

Are There More Women in Today’s Wine Industry?

“In the not too distance past, a large part of the wine industry was comprised of a generation of men. When I started out there was definitely an expectation that I had to prove myself. But today, more people are willing to trust the abilities and expertise of younger women in the field. Sure, there remain some that think women have yet to earn their stripes, but that is changing everyday.

What’s driving that change is a growing population of wine drinkers, many of whom are discriminating women who want to be educated and involved in the purchasing decision of what wines are selected for their enjoyment.

This leads to an environment where it’s more acceptable for women to pursue an education in wine, which in turn leads them to positions of authority in the industry. At the end of the day, influence in the wine world comes from your purchasing power, and we’re seeing more and more women in purchasing positions today.”

Describe Boston’s Wine Community

“In my role as Vice Chair of the Boston Sommelier Society, I get to work with a set of happy, dedicated sommeliers in their 20s and 30s. It is a cohesive, vibrant group, and does include women.”

You have an impressive background in creative writing and hold a Masters of Fine Arts. Do you ever think about combining your love of wine and creative writing?

“I already have. I won a writing contest and was invited to Italy and had the chance to write about those experiences over a 6-month period. That experience led to me being invited to judge at wine competitions. One of the greatest thrills I ever had was working with Rita Dove, Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Her many notable and prestigious accomplishments include serving as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993-1995. I want to share an excellent video of her reading her poem, Testimonial, with your Apple Blog readers.

The theme of the poem is if you accept the world, it will accept you back. This idea resonates with me; I never dreamed I would be a sommelier, working in a family business and now pursuing the daunting degree of Master of Wine. But as circumstances unfolded in my life, I embraced them. It’s been my experience that when you open yourself up to unexpected opportunities, great things can happen.” Here’s the clip I know you will enjoy:

How many apples and how much time did it take you to write The Apple Lover’s Cookbook?

The Apple Lover’s Cookbook took 4 ½ years and I divided my time in equal measures between recipe development, writing and research.

When I started my research I lived in San Francisco. I used to go to the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market and buy every kind of apple variety I could find. I’d return home and review all the apples’ characteristics. With pad and pencil in hand I’d take lots of notes which I would later refer back to when writing the book.

In terms of number of apples, that’s a tough one because some recipes call for 1 pound of apples, while others require up to 5 pounds. But it’s safe to say I used between 300-400 pounds of apples in recipe development while writing the book.

Over the 4 1/2 years I was always sending my recipes out to various testers, but it wasn’t until the photo shoot for the book that I actually got to see my dishes being prepared outside of my kitchen.

Speaking of the photo shoot, the photographs are stunning, tell me what it was like taking pictures for the book?

Photographing the recipes was a highlight! …..

I worked with Squire Fox and three food stylists. The pictures were taken over 3 days in his New York City studio. We met in advance and mapped out which recipes we were going to shoot with an eye towards balancing sweet and savory dishes. In total we shot about 25-30 recipes and 59 apple varieties.

In the book, you acknowledge Michael Carlton. Who was he?

Michael Carlton was an editor at Yankee Magazine when I was starting out in my career. At the time, I had had few writing assignments. Michael saw my passion and gave me my first big break. Everyone needs a break like that, and it was the late Michael Carlton that gave me mine in food writing.

I’ve always wondered, why is the red delicious apple no longer crisp and delicious?

Over time, large-scale growers began favoring red delicious apples that were uniformly red and thick-skinned, and those apples aren’t always the most flavorful fruits. As growers kept selecting the fruit that looked good and shipped well over long distances, they stopped cultivating the characteristics that once earned the red delicious its name. Though an unintended consequence, we’ve now got a red delicious apple that is mealy and flavorless. In in a word, mush.

Your favorite apple varieties, the Pink Pearl and Calville Blanc D’Hiver, are rather homely when compared to varieties like Sweetango or Jazz. Do you think Americans are misguided when seeking the red and glossy apple?

Absolutely, some of the best tasting apples have russet skin.  Many varieties are overlooked because they’re not beauties, such as Ashmead’s Kernal, another favorite of mine.

A lot of produce can fall into that same trap. Farmer’s markets are giving consumers better access to less known varieties, and I encourage everyone to try new varieties when they’re seasonally available.

I have a handy Apple Variety Cheat Sheet in the book categorizing apple varieties in terms of firm-tart, firm-sweet, tender-tart, and tender-sweet. And, I include Apple Notes where I point out what apple varieties are suitable to which recipes.

When it comes to being adventuresome in the produce aisle, we’ve made the most advances with tomatoes. Today consumers have welcomed the availability of great tasting, heirloom tomatoes in all colors, shapes and sizes.

I loved reading in the book about the apple themes of your wedding and being married in an orchard! How do you balance your roles as wife, mother, senior editor of Yankee Magazine and successful cookbook author?

Yes, there’s a lot to juggle, but I have some key advantages. First, Yankee Magazine has been great; they’ve supported my time away this fall to promote the book and do publicity during the peak season. The events and cooking demonstrations I do are often family friendly affairs, so it’s also the case that I can bring my family along.

Another big help is that I write and do recipe development from my home kitchen and office. This keeps me close to my 3-year old son Max, and I am able to grab important moments with him so I don’t miss out.

My husband Scott and I also got in the habit of stopping work at 4 p.m. so we could spend the later afternoon and early evening hours with Max. Then later when he goes to bed, we grab additional work hours in the evening to compensate.

I think most people would find it surprising to learn that in the early 90’s China overtook worldwide apple production. Today, they dominate by producing 35% of the world’s crop. What did you think when you uncovered this fact?

I’m cautious about products made with Chinese apple concentrate because apples are famously vulnerable to pests and diseases, and different countries have different standards about pesticide use. Even in this country, apples tend to be pretty heavily prayed. This is why I serve organic apple juice to my son, Max.

You have more than 1000 followers on Twitter. Do you enjoy social networking?

I was resistant to Twitter because I looked at it as one more thing to do. But I’ve found that I enjoy tweeting and engaging with people online. And, it’s turned out to be a great tool in getting the word out on book signings, TV appearances and radio spots for The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.

Which cookbook authors have inspired you most in your career?

I love Judy Rodgers from the Zuny Café in San Francisco. She’s an amazing chef. When I use her cookbook, it’s like her voice is right there in the kitchen with me.

People should also know about Tessa Kiros. She has culinary roots and family ties to Greece, South Africa and Finland. Her cooking blends all these cuisines in a style that emphasizes fun and family. Her sensibilities in the kitchen are similar to mine.

All the recipes look delicious, could you share some ideas for the Thanksgiving Table?

I grew up in Connecticut, which is where I’ll be spending Thanksgiving. My mother is in charge of the savory dishes and I’m in charge of sweet. This is what I have planned:

From the Apple Lover’s Cookbook I’m making Apple Pie with Crumb Topping. It’s my favorite pie recipe in the book because it’s like the best of apple crisp and apple pie all in one delicious package.  The top is piled with a thick layer of nutty, crumbly topping made from pecans, brown sugar, flour, and butter. This recipe does especially well with apples that have a spicier profile, such as Baldwin, Goldrush, Ginger Gold and Suncrisp.

From Yankee Magazine’s Best of New England Recipes I’m making a Pumpkin Chiffon Pie that features a walnut graham crumb crust. Everyone looks forward to a great pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and this recipe is a winner.

Which recipes from the book would you pair with Still River Apfel Eis?

I love Still River’s apple ice wine! I suggest serving it with richer dishes to compliment the wine’s great acidity.

On the savory side, I would suggest a dish in the book that was inspired by my editor’s memories of a London pub dish called the Bedfordshire Clanger. I adapted the recipe to my own tastes and call it Pork and Apple Pie with Cheddar-Sage Crust.  It’s a combination of spiced ground pork filling with a layer of firm-tart apples on top. I suggest using firm-tart variety like Granny Smith or a firm-sweet variety like Golden Delicious. The savory crust of cheddar and sage make it a fantastic combination with pork. I’ve served this at buffet dinner parties; it’s a guaranteed hit.

On the sweet side, I’d favor the cozy, four-point bundles of Apple Dumplings with Cider-Rum Sauce. Another great pairing would be the Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Spiced Apple-Cranberry Compote All work beautifully with Still River’s apple ice wine.

What’s next for Amy Traverso?

Writing The Apple Lover’s Cookbook has been a joy. I like going deep into a subject where I have the opportunity to uncover the origins and history of food.

Truthfully, I’m not ready to move on from apples. I have so many other recipes I plan to explore and share. Someday I’d like to follow up with a second edition to the book;  it would give me the chance to share more tested recipes and report on the new apple varieties that are in development today.

If I were to choose another subject matter for a book, I wouldn’t stray far. I’m just fascinated by fruit. One of my initial thoughts is to dive deep into stone fruits, but time will tell.

On last question, what was it like to hold The Apple Lover’s Cookbook in your hands for the first time?

So exciting. The publisher W.W. Norton went above and beyond featuring more color photos than I expected. And the jacket, designed by Jan Derevjanik, is gorgeous. Everyone worked so hard to present my research, recipes and the apple itself to full advantage. As a first time author, the experience has been thrilling.

Ran Duan is a freshly minted Johnson & Wales graduate who describes himself as a budding bartender. During culinary school Ran enjoyed a fondness for food, but in short order discovered that his true passion lay in the high art of cocktail making.

Arriving on Boston’s bar scene in 2009…

Ran put himself on a barstool at the epicenter of Boston’s discerning bar scene. His research took him to spots like Eastern Standard Grill, Deep Ellum, and Drink where he observed techniques, trends, and absorbed cocktail history from the city’s top mixologists. Ran benefited from having the perfect laboratory for practicing his new skills; his family’s Sichuan Garden Restaurant and Bar in Woburn, MA. No matter the staggering Boston bar tabs generated by his son, Mr. Duan senior never wavered in fueling his son’s dream, generously turning over the family’s bar to serve as a platform for showcasing Ran’s developing talents.

Customer raves include…

“What an impressive and drool inducing drink menu.  [Sichuan Garden Bar] makes all their mixers in house!  These are some professional mixologists. The care and attention given to every detail of their drinks is top notch.  The bartenders are exceptional, friendly, & generous. I will absolutely be making this spot my go-to bar!”

Tools of the trade…

Fueled by customer feedback, Ran continued to build knowledge around the gadgets of the trade. He points to Adam Lantheaume, owner of The Boston Shaker, as a key resource. His cocktail supply store in Somerville, MA made it possible for Ran to locally procure the finest tools and quality ingredients for his cocktail making.

Entering competitions

Brimming with recipe concepts, practiced in the trade, and equipped for every challenge, Ran began entering cocktail contests facing off against bartenders from establishments like The W Hotel and Aquitaine Restaurant. He found himself earning first place, as well as being featured in Gary Regan’s 2011 annual Manual for Bartenders. Despite humble remarks about owing everything to his father and the Boston bartending community, there’s no doubt in our minds that Ran Duan is on his way to becoming a top mixologist. On July 20^th he heads to New Orleans for the biggest cocktail convention in the world, Tales of the Cocktail.

Ran’s Apfel Eis Recipes

Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Apple Ice Wine
1/2 oz Midori
1/2 oz Lemon
1/4 oz Fee Brothers Falernum
10 Thai Basil Leaves

1. Shake with Ice
2. Tea Strain in a Coupe Glass
3. Garnish=Lemon Twist or Apple Foam

Apple Ice Foam

4 oz Apple Ice Wine
1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup (1 to 1 ratio)
4 egg Whites

1. Put all ingredients in a Isi Cream Canister.
2. Add 1 charge chill.
3. When serving add another charge, total 2 charges.
4. This is a foam you can top on ice cream, dessert, or a cocktail.

Stay tuned to the Still River Winery Facebook page where we’ll share more recipes showcasing the magic Ran creates with our apple ice wine!

Wine Battle Royale

It was an epic contest, my own Wine Battle Royale. A head-to-head competition between Apfel Eis, of Massachusetts, and Neige, of Canada, both apple ice wines. Which would prevail? Would the local wine defeat its foreign competitor? When the tasting was over, who would emerge the victor?

I first encountered Apfel Eis at the Boston Wine Expo, where I also tasted some Neige, though I did not taste them together. At the time, it seemed that the two apple ice wines presented somewhat different styles and flavors. Yet I wondered how the two dessert wines would compare if tasted together and tasted blind. I was not sure the Expo really gave me an accurate comparison of the two wines. So I arranged my own private taste test.

The set-up: Two identical shot glasses, marked on the bottom. I filled each glass with the two different apple ice wines and then had someone else mix them up so I would not know which was which. And then I did the same for my drinking companion.

Both wines looked the same so I could not differentiate them by their color. I then tasted both wines, trying to detect their differences. To my surprise, they were nearly identical in taste except that one may have been slightly tarter than the other. My drinking companion came to the same conclusion, except felt that the other wine was slightly tarter. We both agreed though that the wines tasted essentially the same. I have tasted the two together a couple more times since then, comparing and contrasting them again, and with the same results.

So does that mean the Battle Royale was a tie? No, it does not because there are other factors, besides their similar taste, to consider. First, there is price. The Apfel Eis is $24.99 but the Neige ranges from $27-$30. As the Apfel is less expensive, it gains a bonus. Second, the Apfel is made locally in Massachusetts as opposed to Neige which is from Canada. If you are concerned about buying locally, or supporting local companies, then the Apfel gains another bonus.

So, weighing in those other factors, I consider the Winner to be the Apfel Eis.

As I have previously successfully paired the Neige with various apple desserts, then I have no question that the Apfel Eis would do equally as well with such desserts. I have also recently paired with Apfel Eis with various cheeses, crackers and agave nectar. It paired very well with the cheeses, especially the firmer ones like Manchego though it was delicious with Cheddar too. So instead of pairing a white or red wine with your cheese plate, why not consider the Apfel Eis instead?

Alumni Focus: A New England Farmer Winery

The Holtzmans:  Entrepreneurs, apple ice wine makers

“Want to try the sparkling version?” It is 10:30 in the morning as Wade Holtzman flips the lid on a bottle of carbonated apple ice wine he has carefully tended and fermented for three months in his family’s basement, now home to Still River Winery, in Harvard, Massachusetts. “Oh yes,” say his son, Leif ’05, and wife, Margot, Ed.M. ’72, happily holding up their empty glasses.

The Holtzmans have been making apple ice wine since 2008, when they first tasted a bottle of cidre de glace brought home from a trip to Quebec. “We all fell in love with it,” says Margot. “And we thought, ‘Why not make this ourselves?’”

The beverage was invented in Quebec around 1989, using the same techniques that yield the grape ice wine typically produced in Germany and Canada. Made right, the wine is not overly sweet and has a satisfyingly earthy flavor; it carries the same alcohol level as a glass of white wine—12 percent—and is typically drunk chilled before or after a meal. (It pairs especially well with pork, poultry, lobster, and sharp cheeses.) Leif says the carbonated version, which the family produced just for his then-pending wedding, “is a little like apple soda. Because you can’t taste the alcohol, it can sneak up on you.”

Traditional ice wine uses grapes that have frozen on the vine, but the Holtzmans begin with unpasteurized apple juice fresh-pressed from the nearby Carlson Orchards, a 120-acre farm that grows 14 varieties of apples and has been in business since 1936. The liquid is frozen in containers, then allowed to drip-thaw for 24 hours. This process, repeated three times, separates out the watery residue and concentrates the apple juice to its richest state of sugar, acid, and flavor. A five-gallon jug of juice yields about one-and-a-half gallons of concentrated appleness, and the sugar content shifts from 9 percent to 32 percent before fermentation. Once yeast has been added, the concentrate is left to ferment for three months at 50 degrees until the wine is ready for bottling.

Wade, who runs his own business as an antique furniture restorer from another part of the house, is the primary winemaker. Margot, a learning specialist at Cambridge Friends School, takes care of the administrative work; Leif, who studied psychology and economics at Harvard and has worked in online advertising, has overseen business strategy and marketing. Although he enrolled at Stanford Graduate School of Business this fall, he plans to remain an integral part of expanding the winery.

Still River’s annual capacity as a farmer winery (its official classification) is 1,600 cases per year, or 19,200 bottles; the Holtzmans have made a small profit so far selling in four New England states (check stillriverwinery.com for retail locations). In 2011, they plan to take advantage of a new Massachusetts law that allows farmer wineries to sell at farmers’ markets. That personal touch, Leif agrees, is crucial: “Locally grown, natural products are associated with better health and a smaller environmental impact, which is what people are looking for.”

The Holtzmans, for example, still fill and seal one bottle of ice wine at a time, using labels Leif designed. His parents fully expect him to fly home from Palo Alto for the annual marathon bottling session and hope he will cultivate relationships with California wineries for possible future partnerships. Leif laughs at this, but says he will do what he can. “It is a unique, gratifying experience to be able to hold something in your hand that you made and that people enjoy,” he says, looking around the basement, then at his parents. “And that we all enjoy ourselves.” Salud.

An Interview with Leif Holtzman

From : A Boston Food Diary.

Locally Featured:  Massachusetts Apple Ice Wine

A few weeks ago you might remember, I wrote about a great event at The Melting Pot in Boston’s Back Bay where several food bloggers from the Boston area were invited to sample a host of different types of fondue. Accompanying the cheese and chocolate melted goodness, there were also drinks to be had, one of which stood out from the pack. A small display to one side of the room sat two bottles of the Still River Winery Apfel Eis- apple ice wine. I had never had apple ice wine before, and tried a glass of it. I have to say- I absolutely fell in love with it! It had pure apple flavor, was served perfectly cold on a hot summer day, and was sweet as a dessert wine. It was light, crisp and refreshing. After a few weeks of looking into the Still River Winery on line, I knew I had to highlight them through Locally Featured.

Still River is a village in the town of Harvard, MA, about 40 minutes from Boston. When I say this town is gorgeous, I mean it’s gorgeous. Everything within Harvard is quaint and wonderful, from their center of town General Store to their views of Mt. Watchusett. I used to spend a fair amount of time in this area as a child, but I had forgotten how utterly beautiful it is. Looking around the town, it is not surprising that Apple Ice Wine would be made in such a picturesque New England town.

It seems that the owners of the Still River Winery had the same thought! It was just a short time ago, in January of 2008, that Margot and Wade Holtzman’s traveled to Quebec and tried their first sips of Apple Ice Wine. Their immediate thought after taking a taste was if this wine is this good with Canadian Apples- how much better must it be with the great Massachusetts apples that surround the countryside of Harvard? With that, they began experimenting. A few months later, they set up shop in their own basement, and took their product on the road to their first show, the Newport Wine and Food Expo. Since then, the Still River Winery has been charging ahead winning 7 awards to date, and has their wine featured on several menus around Boston, including the Mandarin Oriental and the Westin Copley. Their wine can be purchased in retails stores all over Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and soon, Wyoming. For a complete list- please click here.

So what is it about Apple Ice Wine? What exactly makes ice wine different than your average hard cider? And what makes it better than other ice wines out there?

Still River Winery uses only local apples. Carlson Orchards, a family owned orchard that has been in existence since 1936, supplies all of Still River Winery’s apples, already pressed. This combination of mainly Macintosh and Red Delicious apples, arrives at Still River Winery in juice form, ready for the Holtzmans to turn into wine. The process itself takes between 4 to 5 months, and includes an in depth process of freezing and separating the water juice. This process ensures that the resulting product is super concentrated apple, rather than a product where external sugars need to be added. They then monitor each batch of the juice, taking note of inevitable flavor variations, fermentation stages as each can vary. Once the appropriate levels have been reached, they blend different batches together to balance a sweeter tasting with a tarter, and vice verse. This process ensure that each bottle has the same consistent flavor.

I have to say- I was really blown away by the level of details, and the amount of care that is taken with each and every bottle of Apple Ice Wine. However, viewing the process it is not surprising at all that their end product is as delicious as it is.

The flavor of apple ice wine is vastly different than a typical grape wine. The apple is very pronounced, without being overpowering. I love that the flavor is reminiscent of actually eating an apple. It is very pure. If you have the opportunity to try this, I absolutely urge you to. And know that no only are you supporting a local farm, Carlson Orchards, by doing so, but a local business as well- the Still River Winery.

Please excuse the quality of the photos- my memory card for my camera decided against making the trip out to Harvard with me, so I had to use a back up method-my phone.

Photos courtesy of : abostonfooddiary.blogspot.com