An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine.
In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state of the cider industry, drawing on more than three decades in cider and nearly eleven years documenting the modern cider movement through Cider Chat.
Recorded in the wake of CiderCon 2026 held in Providence Rhode Island, this episode examines the unspoken norms that shape cider culture: collaboration, enthusiasm, generosity and how those same strengths can quietly limit leadership if they go unexamined.
Ria explores:
- Why opening sessions and “State of the Industry” conversations matter
- How borrowed authority from beer and wine shows up at cider’s most visible moments
- The long shadow of scarcity thinking from apples to attention to wages
- Why cider’s resilience, not its insecurity, should define the narrative
- And what it actually looks like for cider to lead confidently, visibly, and on its own terms
This is not a takedown.
It’s a call forward.
Cider doesn’t need permission.
It doesn’t need translation.
It’s time to let cider lead.
Mentions in this Cider Chat
- Chicago Cider Week February 16-21, 2026
- Cider Salon Canada March 28, 2026
- Cider Salong Hungary April 18, 2026
- Totally Cider Tours – UK Blossm Time and France in the Fall
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
01:02 Upcoming Cider Events
03:10 Totally Cider Tours
06:37 Cider Chat Schedule Update
08:00 Reflections on Cider Industry Leadership
10:53 Cider Industry Norms and Challenges
18:44 Call to Action: Let Cider Lead
19:50 Conclusion and Sign Off
20:25 Outro Song: Strange Apples
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