Wild Apples Make Glorious Cider
Preserving the legacy of the American West, by upcycling wild and historic apples into distinct handcrafted cider.
Rooted along the upper tributaries of the Colorado River, Fenceline was founded with a curiosity and admiration for wild and historic apples. Reviving the region’s cider traditions, our cider is crafted with cold, slow fermentation — producing a drier libation, with complex flavors, and less sugar.
Surrounded by thousands of abandoned orchards that continue to grow in Montezuma County’s rich soil and arid climate, we are committed to upcycling the region’s heritage apples and wild, one-of-a-kind varietals into extraordinary craft cider.
Our name pays homage to the thousands of apple trees that grow along the fence lines of rural America, by way of the birds that once dropped seeds there.
Often, a bird will go out into an orchard, eat an apple, then fly over and sit on a fence wire, dropping an apple seed. Because of the way that apples propagate — each seed deviating genetically from their parent tree — if it sprouts, the dropped seedling will grow into a new type of apple tree. These wild apples tend to have less sugar and be more tart — ideal for making quality cider.
Wild & Historic Apples
We love the apple’s ability to defy man’s regulations of grafting and orderly orchards and re-wild themselves — readily adapting to new climates and ecosystems, like Southwest Colorado. We chose to upcycle wild apples into delicious traditional cider because they are here, in our backyard, thriving across the Colorado Plateau.
We work with completely unique apple varieties that have been born wild, right here in Southwest Colorado, and would otherwise go to waste — dropping from relic orchards and wild apple trees as autumn begins.
These apples are truly one-of-kind, ripe with the tannins and acidity we seek, revealing their own unique terroir when crafted in our ciders.
Some of Our Favorite Named Varietals…
Golden Russet
An old American cultivar of domesticated apple, the Golden Russet is excellent for fresh eating as well as apple cider production. Part of the Russet apple family, the Golden Russet is juicy and sweet, and often used as a cider apple. Early in the season, Golden Russets exhibit an attractive, though extreme, tartness that makes them excellent for eating.
Blanc Mollet
France’s finest, the Blanc Mollet is astringently bittersweet, and makes a great cider even when blended with more commercially available apples like Johnathan, Granny, Jonagold, or Delicious. Growing along wide branch angles over a long harvest period, Blanc Mollet’s are fun to grow and yield in abundance.
Gros Frequin
Growing in a slightly shorter window than the Blanc Mollet, the Gros Frequin apple is a bitter apple that grows consistently and with medium vigor. Apples hang well until mature, and blend nicely with Blanc Mollet.
Domaine
A nice cider apple, the Domaine is astringently bittersweet, featuring an early to mid-season harvest and well-structured branches.
Gros Launette
The Gros Launette is a large French apple that is mildly bittersweet. With an early to mid-season harvest, its trees feature very wide branch angles and a nice tree canopy with no training. Mildly astringent.
Harrison
The Harrison cider apple is one of the most famous 18th century American cider apples, meaning that it was primarily used for the production of apple cider. Grown in New Jersey before and after the American Revolution, it became obsolete by the 20th Century. The Harrison cider apple was considered lost until it was recovered in Livingston, New Jersey at an old cider mill in September 1976.
Our Founder
Sam Perry
Sam began working with apple trees after befriending an apple geneticist and learning to graft, in college. Sam began to collect French, English, and American cider apple trees on his homestead in the Mancos Valley. Today his collection represents over 100 known types of cider apples. When Sam isn’t making or dreaming about cider, he spends his time with his wife and four children. Occasionally, he sneaks off to the desert or the mountains.
At Fenceline, people and place are truly at the heart of everything we do.
Located at the foot of the La Plata Mountains and as a part of the Colorado River watershed, we value the importance of our local ecosystems for both long-term community and environmental sustainability.
And with apple orchards only using one-third of the water resources that an alfalfa crop does, reviving the historic orchards of Montezuma County (once producing more apples than the whole of Washington State) has never been more important to us and our Southwestern communities.
What began by crafting a barrel of hard cider for a friend’s union from a handful of heirloom apple trees, has blossomed into the place for people, from near and far, to come together in the Mancos Valley, at our little spot on the river. And as thirty-plus local families deliver truckloads of handpicked heritage apples each harvest season, while our local collaborations with the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project flourish, our apple story continues to grow across the Southwest.
At our core, we know that it's our unique backyard, wild apples, and great neighbors that come together to make the best of ciders — and we’re here to preserve it all.
Got Apples?
Attention Apple Owners!
Are you wondering what to do with the abundance of apples in your garden or orchard? Look no further! Fenceline Cider & Wine is here to offer you a fantastic opportunity to turn your apples into cider or make some extra cash.
Pick Your Own Apples
If you have a couple of apple trees on your property and are able to harvest them yourself, Fenceline has got you covered. Before you start plucking those juicy fruits, swing by our location. We can provide you with apple crates or apple bins, making your picking process a breeze. In return for your contribution, you get to choose between cider, a bar tab, or a cash payment.
Orchards with 10 or More Trees
Do you have a proper apple orchard with 10 or more trees? Fenceline is interested in your harvest as well! We are more than willing to come to your location and handle the picking ourselves. Not only will we pay you for the apples, but we'll also make sure they are put to good use in our cider-making process.
Get in Touch!
To take advantage of this opportunity, get in touch with us today! Simply send us a direct message on Facebook, shoot us an email at info@fencelinecider.com, or give us a call at (970) 533-4005. Our friendly team will ask you a few questions, such as the type and quantity of apple trees you have and whether you'll be picking them yourself or require our assistance.
Thank you for joining us in our mission to transform that delicious fruit into even more delicious cider. We can't wait to connect with you and bring your apples to their fullest potential!