By Erin James
Farming is in Paul Kolling’s genes and results of said farming is on his jeans. As the fourth generation in his line of family farmers, Kolling was a geoscientist by trade but was brought back to the land his roots were sowed into in 1983 and began to farm his Sonoma County organic apple orchard full time. Shortly after, he and his wife launched Nana Mae’s Organics, the acclaimed fruit produce supplier inspired by and named for Kolling’s late grandmother.
The farm cultivates roughly 300 acres of heritage orchards throughout the county today, including some land that has grows heirloom Gravenstein apples prime for the picking and use in Kolling’s Specific Gravity Cider Co. Kolling teamed up with tenured cider (and wine) maker Alison Schneider for the project in 2013 and the team currently produces two bottlings, including the Nana Mae’s Early Harvest Gravenstein. Celebrating Nana Mae’s “wild side,” this limited edition cider is tart, slightly tannic and bold. Ripe apples, baking spices, earth and acid greet the nose while the palate matches with juicy texture and a subtle grip.
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