Tag Archives: Montgomery Place Orchards

Hopping to (Cider) Success

Posted on November 19, 2025 by upstatedowntown

It has been a while since I have posted here, with too much work going on at the day job, taking some of the starch out of my writing impulse. Fortunately, my hard cider journey has fared better than the … Continue reading →

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A Hard Cider Hat Trick

Posted on May 4, 2020 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Both good things and bad come in threes. For my hard cider entries in the 30th Annual Hudson Valley Homebrew Competition last month, however, it was a rare and perfectly positive trifecta: not only did I take … Continue reading →

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Back in the Winners’ Circle: Matthews’ Homebrew Cider

Posted on March 26, 2019 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews I made quite a splash with my (hard) cider at the recent 2019 Hudson Valley Homebrew Competition (HVHC). Not only did I take First and Third Place in the “Standard Cider” category, respectively, but also Best in … Continue reading →

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A Winning Home-Brewed Cider

Posted on March 21, 2016 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Apples have long been a touchstone here at Upstate-Downtown, whether via our farmhouse, where we “inherited” three productive Empire apple trees — a great window into the growing season — or in the Hudson Valley more broadly, through its apple-growing traditions and excellence. Part … Continue reading →

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The Wine Media Guild Does…Cider!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews It may sound a bit like “man biting dog”, but at the Wine Media Guild of New York’s (WMG) recent October tasting/lunch, the focus was on…cider! Justifiably so. “Hard” (i.e. alcoholic) cider is one of the hottest beverage … Continue reading →

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Ramp Fest 2013 in Hudson, NY

Posted on May 10, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Here at Upstate-Downtown, it’s no secret that we’re crazy for ramps — those pungent wild spring onions ripe for picking this time of year. And we’ve written extensively about them, from foraging, preparing and cooking and pairing with … Continue reading →

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Black Twig: Tennessee Apple, Thriving on the Hudson

Posted on November 13, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews As Thanksgiving approaches, the harvest is winding down quickly in our corner of the Hudson Valley. Looking back, 2012 was mostly a banner year for produce (depending on location, of course — a late frost hit some). Despite being … Continue reading →

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Corn, Simply (and Perfectly)

Posted on August 3, 2010 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews August is peak corn season in the Hudson Valley. We just had the “butter and sugar” variety from Gill Family Farm the other day, purchased at the Montgomery Place Orchards’ farm stand in Red Hook, NY, and it … Continue reading →

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