A greatly expanded Cider Summit Chicago took over the far end of Navy Pier in Chicago on February 8th. Thirty six cider producers from all over the world, including 14 from the Midwest, poured tastings for a packed house that exceeded 1,000 on Saturday morning. The organizer billed Cider Summit as “the largest tasting of artisanal cider” in the Midwest and based on the photos below, this claim is no exaggeration.
Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press, the leading source of news on the growing wine industry in the central United States. Mark has been a wine judge at the 2012 and 2014 INDY International Wine Competition, the 2014 Cold Climate Wine Competition, the 2013 Mid-American Wine Competition, the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition and the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition. He also enjoys speaking at wine events including the Cold Climate Wine Conference, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Meeting, the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Mark's articles about regional wine have appeared in Vineyard & Winery Management, WineMaker and several regional magazines.
Mark is a Level One Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He lives in Louisville, but also has a residence in Chicago.