By Jordan Parker S ean Myles & Gina Haverstock have been involved with Annapolis Valley food and bev- erages for years. They moved to the valley in 2007, with Gina -- the inspiration for Gina’s Red, sold at NSLC -- working as the winemaker at Gaspereau Vineyards. Myles himself works for Dalhousie University in Kentville, N.S., with a focus on apple breeding. It was their love of wine, beer and apples that bore their business, the Annapolis Cider Company. “We always kind of had that entrepreneurial itch. We saw wineries cropping up and bene- fiting Wolfville, and then we saw the craft beer movement explode. We felt uniquely suited to start something,” said Myles. “To do cider made a lot of sense because of my research and understanding of the apple supply chain. My wife’s expertise in fermentation was also a key factor.” The two began looking for a little space, as cider was the fastest-growing local product at the NSLC. “In April 2016, we opened our doors. We had spent two or three years visiting all the production facilities we could in Atlantic Canada, and even out west in Oregon,” he said. “We felt we were well-equipped to head into the market, and got a tiny space downtown.” The cidery is different, in that they believe in the premium nature of the brand. “Increasingly, we feel confident saying ‘no’ as opportunities present themselves. We could put our product in a 500 ml package to compete with others in volume, but that doesn’t speak to the nature of our brand or our relationship with our customers,” he said. “Our ultra-premium product stands out, and we package in a 750 ml bottle. We’re a wine-like product, and we love to focus on what makes us different.”
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FEBRUARY 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE JAN 20
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