Welcome to Wheel Line Cider
Kittitas Valley is a blanket of farms and agricultural based, family run businesses. For over twenty years our family has been farming mostly Timothy & Alfalfa hay with rotational crops in the Upper Badger Pocket area. Seven years ago, 8 acres were set aside to plant bittersweet heritage apples, and thus the inception of Wheel Line Cider! As seasoned travelers, we’ve discovered a wide range of ciders, and fallen in love with the complex flavors that a fermented apple can possess. Each apple varietal reflecting the earth, sun and water of the region providing each cider with a distinctive flavor profile.
Driven by its own rich history’s in brewing, agriculture, and hospitality, Wheel Line Cider draws inspiration from each branch to cultivate a unique, multifaceted experience that will inspire you to slow down, and connect. Our cider barn sits on a hillside overlooking rolling farmlands, with beautiful views of the Kittitas Valley and Steward Mountains in the distance. The barn that once was bursting with farm tools, equipment, and parts has since been cleaned out and given a new purpose. The building is infused with bits and pieces of history, and outfitted with all of the fermentation essentials, drains, glycol tanks, a mill and press. As you enter through the large barn doors, you will notice three large wheels have been repurposed into light fixtures and hung as a homage to the buildings former purpose and our familial ties to the innovation of linear moving irrigation, Wheel Lines. A Normal Rockwell painting also hangs front and center and is a cheerful scene of men playing cards enjoying Schmidt Beer. The painting was commissioned as part of an ad campaign for Near Beer by Schmidt Brewing Co. during Prohibition and serves as a reminder of our heritage and the importance of perseverance and a good craft beverage!
Much like the Farm to Table movement, our cider creations encompass a root to glass journey. We have a small onsite orchard dedicated to the revival of old French and English heirloom varietal apples such as, Micheline, Tremlett Bitter, Nehou and more. In the interim, as we wait for our orchard to mature and produce, we source apples from Washington State growers, some as local as Kukes Farm just down the road from us, off of 4th parallel. The entire cider production process is carried out onsite in the cider barn. We mill and press all of the apples ourselves, the fresh juice is then pumped directly from our press into the tanks to undergo fermentation. After the cider has finished its ferment it is either kegged and bottled from the tanks, or is transferred into wooden barrels, where the cider will undergo a closely monitored aging process.
The grounds that surround the barn have a mixture of both contemporary and tranquil design elements that meld together to create an unmatched rural ambience for everyone to enjoy. From our large custom rebar trees, and fully refurbished 1970’s airstream, that servers as our mobile tasting room, equipped with 4 taps, to our terraced flagstone patio complete with bocce ball and a kid play area. It’s a home away from home, where friends and family can gather and relax in our apple crate lounge chairs or withered teak tables and listened to the hum of tractors, the rhythmic beat of the sprinklers, or the gentle breeze as it blows through the trees and creates whimsical waves of crops.
The combination of onsite production, storytelling and landscape give a sense of wonderment to our agricultural destination! Our focus is cultivating connection through cider and experience. We encourage our friends to pack a picnic or snacks to enjoy while you are visiting us! Our calendar of events is constantly changing as we fill the days with crafts, music and more, for an up-to-date list of activities please visit our website at www.wheellinecider.com!
We welcome you to celebrate agriculture with us, relish in the beauty and magic of the country side, and pop open a crisp slow cider with friends and family!