Argus Cidery is a Texas original, and a first-time participant in the Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival in 2012. To say festival organizers are excited about that would be an understatement!
Wes Mickel, owner and founder of Argus Cidery in Dripping Springs.
Argus produced the first sparkling American hard cider in Texas, handcrafted solely from apples grown by Texas farmers. Each vintage is hand pressed, fermented to a dry, crisp finish by selected wild and traditional yeast and aged on the best American and French oaks. The result: A champagne-like bubbly suited for any occasion.
Wes Mickel, owner and winemaker of Argus Cidery, has a background that is 100% food. He began his work at the back of house at the age of 15. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and then worked in the kitchens of Meadowood Napa Valley and Ad Hoc, before leaving for the Bay area to work with chef Tyler Florence as his assistant.
An Arkansas native, Mickel decided it was time to head South and ended up in Austin, Texas. Mickel is currently teaching as the Senior Chef Instructor at the flagship Whole Foods Lamar Culinary Center, while simultaneously building his cider business.
Argus Cider apples are produced in Texas
The beginnings of the Cidery stemmed from Mickel’s love for hard cider, and that alone was the catalyst. In America, as well as other countries, apples just don’t get the same treatment as a medium such as grapes. His idea was to simply apply that same love and respect to the best apple juice he could get his hands on, and of course make the best cider possible.
When Mickel is not at the cider house or teaching a class at Whole Foods, he enjoys cooking dinner with his wife, playing the bass and gardening with his two dogs, Yoshi and Astor.
Visit Argus Cidery online:
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Visit Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival online:
Tickets: http://www.DrippingWithTaste.com
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Follow on Twitter @DWTWineFoodFest
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