RIPON, Calif. — Andrea Chinchiolo says spelling her name is hard, but so is her farm’s apple cider, and that’s a good thing.

“I grew up in the orchards with my wonderful parents and two brothers,” she said. “Our house was surrounded by ripe cherries in the spring and crunchy sweet apples late summer and fall.”

The family comes from a history of agriculture and land management. The 200-acre farm, Lucky You Orchards, is over 100 years old and on its fourth generation.

Apples became the main crop in the 1980s when the Chinchiolos became one of first California orchards to commercially plant Fujis. Apples are one of the most expensive and labor reliant crops.

In addition to heirloom apples, the farm produces cherries, pluots and nectarines with 90% of them certified organic.

Sustainable farming and the concept of connecting people with their food source is woven into the family’s new venture.

“Far West Cider was started 5 years ago as a way to utilize fruit that was perfectly delicious but too small or not fully ‘perfect’ for grocery store shelves,” Chinchiolo said.

The juice is fermented, cellared and bottled at the cidery in Richmond, north of Oakland.

Distribution is expansive: from Bay Area bars, restaurants and retailers to Southern California and Oregon markets.

Using the catch phrase, “Cider But Different,” Far West Cider strives to connect consumers with beverages, using real ingredients that come from a real farm.

“Last year we made 17 new ciders –with passion fruit, turmeric and Sichuan (Chinese) peppercorns — in addition to our core line,” she said. “Most of these small batch ciders are sold at our network of local farmers markets and our popular CiderBox subscription.”

Chinchiolo’s latest venture is a step into ag tourism.

The farm opened to the public for the first time during the pandemic. The initial idea was to provide a way to get families outdoors and involved in a fun and safe activity. Admission to the orchard is free during U-pick season: cherries from mid-May to mid-June and apples from mid-September to October.

Guests can relax among the trees, munch on organic produce and take a scenic tractor ride to learn how California produce is grown.

“I admire the resilience it takes to be in this industry and have always respected the continued education that was displayed through my parents as mentors,” she said.