Our Story
John and Amy Enwright built Purely Pomme and their Heirloom Hill Orchard out of a shared love of apples and a belief that thoughtful craftsmanship can turn well nurtured, and rare varieties into something unforgettable.
John brings a practical, problem-solving mind to the orchard and cider. Trained as an engineer, he lays out irrigation, plans infrastructure, and creates balanced cider with precision. He grafts new varieties, oversees pruning and tree health and tends to the apples ensuring that they are picked at the perfect time for their flavor intensity and sugar content.
Amy brings a complementary set of skills to their partnership. Trained as an architect, project manager, and artist she designed the orchard layout, designs the labels and marketing direction, and guides aesthetic choices in the field and bottle for balance and beauty. Together they blend system and soul, calculation and intuition, tending to trees and crafting cider so every bottle feels intentional, rich, and balanced.
The Orchard
Our Heirloom Hill Orchard is devoted to cider apples. We planted more than 1,000 trees across the hill, representing over thirty heirloom varieties selected for their flavor complexity and historical character. Each variety has its own story: some came from varietal collections preserved by enthusiasts across Canada and the United States, and some came from local nurseries. We graft, propagate, and steward these trees to keep those stories growing for the next generation.
Perched on a drumlin in Sterling, New York, the orchard overlooks Lake Ontario, whose moderating influence softens spring frosts and cools summer heat, helping fruit develop balanced acids, sugars, and tannins essential for layered ciders. Shaped by the last ice age, the mineral-rich, well-draining soils encourage deep roots, steady nutrients and concentrated flavors. We grow trees for flavor, acidity, tannin, and bitterness, pruning selectively, harvesting by taste, and blending varieties for balance.
Our orchard is planted with distinctive varieties chosen to make exquisite single‑variety ciders, so you can taste the true character of each apple. These are a few of the main varieties we have cultivated.
Kingston Black, an English heirloom bittersharp, is celebrated for producing a balanced cider with high tannin and bright acidity.
Golden Russet, John’s favorite, has a sweet, nutty profile that’s delicious fresh and surprisingly tropical in cider, with notes of apricot and pineapple.
Rare red‑fleshed apples, whose deep ruby interior yields a strikingly vibrant and highly tart juice when pressed.
Porter’s Perfection is a bittersharp that gives a very acidic, low‑tannin juice.
Franklin is a modern, cold‑hardy bittersharp cider apple prized for its high tannin and acidity.