Vashon Island, also known as Vashon-Maury, is a Puget Sound island cradled between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s smaller and more populous than our San Juan Islands, with forested shorelines, small farms, and a range of accommodations to satisfy luxury-lovers and nature fanatics alike. For the foodies, one excellent reason among many to make it out to Vashon is award-winning perry and cider producer Nashi Orchards.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Perry is made from fermented pears, just as cider is from apples. If you’ve never tried it before, you might be imagining a cloying fruit juice, but the first sip of a Nashi Orchards perry will dispel that notion. Their alcoholic and non-alcoholic perries are sophisticated and crisp, gently sparkling, and best served chilled like a glass of white wine.
“Perries are like the champagne of the cider world,” says Co-Owner Cheryl Lubbert. “You’ll see that it’s light, it’s really approachable…We don’t add flavorings or sugars, so don’t expect it to be sweet.”
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Lubbert and Co-Owner Jim Gerlach didn’t set out to purchase a pear orchard on Vashon Island—they did so because of the 17th-century Japanese Katsura estate that happened to share the 27-acre parcel with 300 old Asian pear trees, unkempt and declining in health. They weren’t farmers (he’s an architect, she has a background in molecular genetics and biotech), but they’d fallen in love with the property, so they bought it in 2005 and began renovating the orchard.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
With oodles of fruit to deal with, Gerlach took on the mantle of cidermaker, learning the ways of processing, fermenting, and blending fruit. He found a love for experimenting with “interesting yeasts, proven wine techniques, and time to create world class beverages.” Now, Nashi Orchards farms 15 varieties of Asian pears, numerous types of perry pears, and cider apples, including Spanish sidra apples. Their Vashon orchard is biodynamically farmed and certified Salmon-Safe. In 2021, Nashi expanded into the Hood River region of Oregon, where they have a 22-acre organic orchard and a luxury bed and breakfast, the Sakura Ridge Farm and Lodge.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Make your way to the Nashi Orchards Tasting Room on Vashon to experience the fruits of their labor. Surrounded by pastoral countryside (complete with a small flock of St. Croix and Icelandic sheep!), you can sip chilled perry and cider outside around the firepit, or inside in the minimalist upscale industrial space.
If you want to visit Nashi’s home orchard, the Japanese-inspired estate complete with a serene pond and idyllic gardens, we recommend becoming a Nashi Enthusiast club member. Members receive bottles of Nashi’s reserve and small-batch products, plus invites to exclusive events at the home orchard. Annually, they hold a perry and cider making class there, as well as a Hanami event to celebrate spring while surrounded by pear and apple blossoms.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
For fall travelers, Vashon’s CiderFest takes place in October and celebrates all things cider! It’s a boisterous community event in Vashon Village, with tastings from regional cideries, fruit-pressing, and an amateur cider competition. Lubbert herself has a hand in organizing CiderFest as a board member of the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce.
Find retail locations, shop NA bottles, and learn more at nashiorchards.com. 16906 107th Ave. SW, Vashon, 206.734.5551, nashiorchards.com
