The Wild-Fermented Draught and the Apple Wood Barn: A Pour at Westwind Orchard

In the shadow of the Shawangunk Ridge, where the soil is rocky and the air smells of damp earth and ripening fruit, the Hudson Valley’s agricultural soul is undergoing a quiet revival. While the region has long been known for its pick-your-own apple orchards and weekend farm stands, a few pockets have resisted the pull of commercial tourism in favor of something more primal. Westwind Orchard in Accord is one of these places—a working farm where the cider is cloudy, the fermentation is wild, and the food tastes of the forest and the hearth.

To arrive here is to step away from the polished aesthetic of the modern tasting room. Instead, you find a collection of weathered barns, gnarly heirloom trees, and a pervasive sense of time slowing down. It is a place where the connection between the tree and the glass is not just marketed, but felt in the tannins and the grit of the landscape.

Local Story

The story of this patch of land is one of restoration. Once a neglected orchard, the property was revived by Fabio Chizzola and Laura Ferrara, who brought an Italian sensibility to the rugged New York terrain. Their approach was not to tame the land, but to listen to it. In the world of cider, this translates to a commitment to organic practices and natural fermentation—letting the yeasts that live on the skins of the apples do the heavy lifting.

Walking through the rows, you’ll notice the trees aren't the uniform, manicured specimens found in industrial groves. These are resilient varieties, some nearly a century old, producing fruit that is often too tart or bitter to eat out of hand but perfect for the press. The cider produced here isn't the sweet, fizzy soda found in supermarkets; it is complex, dry, and sometimes funky, reflecting the specific weather and soil of the Rondout Valley.

Zuro can help you navigate the winding backroads of Ulster County to find these kinds of tucked-away agricultural gems. On weekends, the farm comes alive not with fanfare, but with the steady heat of the wood-fired oven and the rhythmic sound of apples being crated. It is a community hub where locals and travelers sit side-by-side on mismatched chairs, bound by a shared appreciation for things made slowly and by hand.

Experience Guide

When you visit, head straight for the tasting room barn. The menu is a reflection of the owners' heritage, blending Italian culinary traditions with Hudson Valley ingredients. The wood-fired pizzas are the centerpiece, featuring thin, charred crusts and toppings often sourced directly from the surrounding fields—think local honey, spicy soppressata, or seasonal vegetables.

Start with a flight of their flagship ciders. The 'Goldilocks' or their dry traditional blends offer a clean entry point, but don't shy away from the experimental batches—ciders aged in bourbon barrels or infused with raspberries and ginger. The taste is strikingly different from commercial varieties; it has a structure more akin to wine, with a lingering acidity and a connection to the earth.

After eating, take your glass and wander. The orchard is open for walking, and during the autumn months, you can pick your own heirloom apples. Look for varieties like Northern Spy or Esopus Spitzenburg—Thomas Jefferson’s favorite—which have grown in this region for centuries. The experience is tactile: the snap of the stem, the weight of the fruit, and the crisp bite of the mountain air.

The Art of Wild Fermentation

At the heart of the operation is the cider house, where the chemistry of the harvest happens. Unlike many modern producers who use commercial yeast strains to ensure a predictable result, Westwind often leans into spontaneous fermentation. This process relies on the ambient yeast present in the orchard and the cellar.

This method is risky and time-consuming, but it results in a beverage that is a true document of its environment. Each vintage tastes slightly different depending on whether the summer was unusually dry or the spring was late. The resulting cider often carries notes of hay, stone fruit, and a distinct minerality that mirrors the limestone-heavy soil of the Shawangunk region. It is a drink that demands you pay attention.

Accord and the Rondout Valley

The town of Accord itself is a quiet alternative to the more bustling hubs of Hudson or Rhinebeck. It sits in the Rondout Valley, a fertile strip of land between the Catskill Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge. The area has become a haven for 'new' farmers—individuals returning to the land to practice regenerative agriculture and small-scale craft production.

A trip to the orchard is easily paired with a visit to the nearby Arrowood Farms, a brewery that grows its own hops and grain just down the road. The synergy between these producers creates a unique local food circuit where you can see every stage of production, from the sprout in the ground to the pint on the table.