We went here because one of the restaurants in Turlock serves their hard cider. My husband and I have done a fair amount of winery visits and tours - and this place was top notch. First the tasting was no charge and the girl doing the pouring was fun, energetic, informative and invested in their success. It is a small distillery with a lot of acreage. When we heard they only have 8 people making all the cider, brandy and vodka we were amazed. The cider is soooo good! I wish we could buy it here but they don't ship and are only local right now to Sonora, Turlock and Modesto areas. This hard cider distillery is going to be very successful. Wish I had some right now!
We saw this in one of the free Vacationland mags the hotels give out and decided to drive up. WOW! About 10 minutes out of Sonora, you drive down a one-way road to a covered wooden bridge, then onto the immaculate grounds. It's country and modern all at once. The tasting room is kid-friendly, serving apple juice while the adults learn about the making of organic and non-organic apple cider, 20,000+ trees, brandy and vodka, while enjoying ample samples.Jay Watson, the owner, gave us a tour of his fairly new facility, answering questions from young and old alike. The brandy room was beautiful! As was the gift shop filled with local artisan's wears.We came back the next day for a refill of our "little brown jug" and met two other employees who were so lively and inviting that we felt like we were fast friends or part of the family by the time we went out to have a picnic under the shade of the large oak trees covering the picnic tables. The young ladies gave us great tips on other places to visit in the area and when.TIP: If there are cars around the side, someone is there and will happily give you a tasting / tour. That's from Mr. Watson himself!Can't say a thing bad about this place, except maybe I can't buy them locally in the Bay Area yet. But maybe they'll have a distributor by next year. They're worth it!!
This is a very interesting venture. You have the opportunity to see how hard cider is made and then to taste it. You also can see how the by products are used to create additional beverage. The tour and tasting is free! The process is very "green" and environmentally friendly. The production and business are exceptionally well managed. The grounds have been well landscaped and provide a serene environment in which to relax and even enjoy a picnic. The owners and employees have done a very good job in building and managing this venture. Matt Rose gave us a great tour and explanation of the operation. Our Wyoming friend was very impressed and inquired about getting the cider available back in his home town. This operation in NOT located in an obvious area (that is what makes the grounds such an attraction!) so please get your directions and head out towards Apple Valley Estates to Summers Lane for an enjoyable experience.
We are lucky enough to live in beautiful calaveras county and close to many wonderful places to visit. Last week my mother was visiting from San Francisco and we decided to take her over to sonora ca to indigeny reserve for some hard apple cider tasting. Such a beautiful place with awesome people, not to mention great cider and apple brandy ! There are picnic tables which make it so inviting to sit and relax. They also give tours of their operation, unfortunately they were cleaning while we were there but we will go back another time. A must if you are visiting our area.
While wine tasting in Murphy's, we ran across a couple who highly recommended Indigeny so we just had to go. This is the best hard apple cider I've ever tasted. So smooth....more like a sparkling apple juice with a small kick.The owner, Jay, gave us a tour and we were introduced to their apple brandy. The tour was very informative and my guy said the brandy was very good.One of the few places where you can still get a free tasting and the surroundings are beautiful.
The natural and artistic beauty of the place was awesome. Gift shop, while definitely $$$+ has a wonderful selection of items. The tasting bar was fun and loved the brief tour of the operation. too bade they don't have a simple sandwich deli and tables outside to just sit and enjoy the rolling land, the orchards and their organic flower and vegetable gardens! Hopefully that is in their future plans as this is only their second year of operation I believe.
WOW! What a nice surprise. Took a day trip with a friend to Sonora and stopped by Indigeny Reserve and we were pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed the Cider tasting and tour provided by the owner of the reserve. I would highly recommend this place and product to everyone. Already purchased more from Save Mart where the product is carried. Next up for me is a brandy purchase which was smooth tasting with a slight taste of oak.
If you like hard cider, definitely visit Indigeny. Lovely people working there, a fun tour (the copper distilling columns are very cool) and amazing cider and apple brandy. (We didn't taste the apple vodka). Will definitely return because that great cider is only sold within a 50-mile radius.
what a find the best hard apple cider i've ever had in a class by them selves , the brandy is fantastic and the grounds are spectacular . the tour was the best ive ever been on of facility like this
Indigeny is a hard cider that is so delicious that I can't believe it's in our backyard! The tasting room and facility are tucked away in a gorgeous organic apple orchard! Whether you want to just have a taste or buy some to take home, or even picnic, Indigeny is an incredible product set in tranquil surroundings!