When my friend and colleague Diane Flynt told me in the 90's that she and her husband were planting an apple orchard, I should have known reviews in the New York Times and James Beard nominations were inevitable.
But what I really thought was, that sounds like so much fun. I didn’t think more about it until Diane told me it was time to create a website for Foggy Ridge Cider.
Her success isn’t surprising to those who know her. Diane’s enthusiasm is infectious, which is another way of saying she’s a natural-born, brilliant marketer. Early on she looked up every blogger within 100 miles of their farm and invited them to a gourmet lunch to introduce her cider.
What’s remarkable is how she makes it look fun and easy. Her business is hard! I see photos of Diane snowshoeing out to trim apple trees in what I’d consider a near-blizzard. The fall harvest and mashing season is intense.
She put together a fine cider making crew, finding and growing nearly-extinct traditional cider apples, seeking out the best apple people in the world. Just check out the news coverage for Foggy Ridge… how many products have been reviewed in both Wine Enthusiast and Garden & Gun? Men’s Journal and Martha Stuart Living? The New York Times ranked Foggy Ridge cider first on the list in its “Dry Cider, an American Favorite, Rebounds” roundup.
We did the first website in 2004. One of the pleasures for me, in addition to working with a friend, and on a great business, has been working over a 11 years on a brand. We’ve done 2 overhauls to the site over the years, but it’s pretty amazing that in fundamental ways the site hasn’t changed so much. The new labels and logo [not by David Kerr Design] anchored a lovely new web banner. But all along wonderful photography and a great idea have made showing off Foggy Ridge easy.
