From Farm to Glass: The Journey of Rittman Orchard and Bent Ladder Ciders

One of the many benefits of living in Wayne County is the abundance of local food sources. With local farmers producing a local food supply, many enjoy the farm-to-table philosophy. One Wayne County fruit farm is taking it a step further allowing many to also enjoy farm to glass.

In 2004, the Vodraska family took over Rittman Orchard, which started in the 1920’s. “At the time, the orchard had become run down,” stated Matt Vodraska, co-owner. “My mom, dad, brother and I cleared the property and started from scratch. Replanting everything was a lot more work than we intended, but we were able to do it our way.”

For the orchard to support multiple families, Vodraska realized they needed to diversify and

develop new pathways for income. Once the farmer’s markets in Cleveland started becoming unstainable, he started exploring new avenues.

Having grown up next to a larger winery, Vodraska thought it made sense to open one at the orchard since it features six acres of grapes. After lots of research, Bent Ladder officially became part of the Rittman Orchard family.

With a south-facing slope, great for growing fruit, the 125-acre orchard also features 40 acres of apples. “I knew there was a craft cider boom happening on the West Coast,” said Vodraska. “With our apples, I knew it was a no-brainer to bring craft cider to Ohio, along with our wines.”

“When we started, we had 75 to 80 different varieties of apples, now we have even more with apples specific to making world-class ciders,” stated Vodraska.

As the largest craft cider producer in the State of Ohio, the 2022 harvest will reap 16,000 gallons. “We’ve come a long way from our first year,” exclaimed Vodraska. “That year, we only produced between 3-4,000 gallons of both cider and wine.”

Growing all their own fruit, Bent Ladder produces about 10 different wines and 20 to 25 award- winning ciders.

In 2021, Bent Ladder launched its Heritage Series, which has won several national and international awards. Another award winner, the Winter Crisp Ice Cider won gold at the Great Lakes Cider competition, and Best in Category at the Cidercraft Awards.

“It’s very challenging and engaging on a daily basis,” stated Vodraska. “Every year you start from scratch, as previous awards have no bearing on your current harvest. You must prove yourself all over again.”

As members of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, Bent Ladder just released their EverCrisp Cider, which is a part of the Heritage Series.

“The EverCrisp® has the same crisp as the Honeycrisp, but more flavor,” stated Vodraska. “It’s an important part of Ohio apples,” continued Vodraska. “As apples evolved, they lost some of their flavor components. We’re looking at bringing back old genes, breeding back in some of that lost flavor.”

Vodraska realizes producing their one-of-a-kind ciders is a team effort. “My brother oversees growing, so most of the credit goes to him. With extensive knowledge of fruit, we can capture the quality and bring it straight from the fields,” said Vodraska. “To get similar ciders, you would have to travel to Michigan or the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Not only does a lot of thought go into producing the beverages, but also naming them. Their popular cider, Home Slice, which tastes like apple pie with its sweet cinnamon and vanilla taste, is named after a niece. “Whoa, Nellie, a cider smoked with hot pepper, is named after my nephew,” said Vodraska. “The cider has pep just like him.” There’s even a cider named after their dog.

Just released this fall is Bent Ladder’s new Legend Series. This involves four ciders co-fermented with other things. “We’re super excited and think others will be blown away by the taste,” exclaimed Vodraska. “There are two ways to make your products flavored. The first way, the cider is fermented and then juice is added. The second, the items are co-fermented together, which is how we’re producing the Legend Series.”

Not only is Vodraska hopeful that their products will soon be available at local grocery stores, such as Buehler’s or Acme, but he’s also hoping for an Ohio Cider Guild. “I’m not sure what this will look like, as the industry has focused more on the wine side, but I’m hoping for more of a grower focus.”

Rittman Orchard is a working farm. “We want our guests to experience the farm,” said Vodraska. “If you come to a ‘You Pick,’ we’re right there picking with you.” Bent Ladder also features a ‘Concert on the Lawn’ series from May through October, and Saturdays through the winter.

“We’re very fortunate in Northeast Ohio to have awareness of local food systems,” stated Vodraska. “I would like to see more time and effort focused on the beverage side, as 90% of the wine sold in Ohio is not grown in Ohio,” continued Vodraska. “The only time our fruit leaves our property is in a bottle, and I really hope more Ohioans start embracing the farm-to-glass philosophy.”

To learn more about Bent Ladder’s ciders and wines, or to check out their remaining ‘Concert on the Lawn’ series, visit bentladder.com.