our story

Nashi Orchards cidery is located on Vashon Island in the South Puget Sound near Seattle, where it’s part of a community of committed producers of artisanal foods, wines and spirits. We create handcrafted, award-winning ciders and perry from our Asian and European pear and heirloom apple orchards.

In 2005, Jim Gerlach and Cheryl Lubbert fell in love with a home on Vashon Island designed in the tradition of a 17th century Katsura Japanese country estate. The home was located on 27 acres with an old, declining 300-tree Asian pear orchard planted in the 1970s. Even though neither Jim nor Cheryl had an agricultural background, they embarked on renovating the orchards. This care resulted in an abundance of fruit each year which Jim started fermenting. People loved his Asian pear perry and Nashi Orchards was born.

More than a decade later, the orchards contain more than double the original trees featuring 15 varietals of Asian pears, numerous varieties of perry pears, cider and Spanish sidra apples. Jim’s philosophy is to use the best fruit, interesting yeasts, proven wine techniques and time to create world-class beverages. Jim’s cider and perry have been recognized by the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry competition (GLINTCAP) with Best-in-Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards every year they have participated.

In 2021, Nashi Orchards expanded its operations into Oregon’s Hood River with the addition of a 22-acre certified-organic orchard, also home to Sakura Ridge Farm and Lodge, a luxury bed and breakfast. The Lodge was fully renovated into an eco-conscious, luxury bed-and-breakfast in 2022. Sakura is the Japanese word for "cherry blossom” meant to recognize and honor the properties Japanese history of growing cherries. Today, the orchards grow supply pears and cider apples for our non-alcoholic and award-winning perry and cider.

Join Nashi Orchards in our Passionate Pursuit of Delicious Libations in our tasting room located at 16906 107th Ave SW, Vashon. Contact our sales and marketing manager, at nashiorchards@gmail.com with retail or wholesale requests.

Our Orchards

Nashi Orchards is located on 27 acres of beautiful Vashon Island, Washington. The orchards and surrounding farm and forest are home to our St. Croix sheep, Bouvier de Flanders dogs, barn cat, and an abundance of birds and other wildlife. 

Our Vashon orchards have been certified through the Salmon-Safe assessment which entails a site inspection focused on watershed impacts from vineyard management. The assessment is "whole farm," meaning Salmon-Safe also evaluates non-vineyard crops and any non-cropped areas.

Our new orchards in Hood River are certified organic and are located on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) property.

OUR LODGE

Sakura Ridge Farm and Lodge, which began as a modest log home in the middle of orchards in the shadow of Mt. Hood, enters its latest evolution following a full property renovation as Oregon’s newest luxury accommodations. The certified organic farm and five-room lodge, which was part of Nashi Orchards expansion in 2021, is open for reservations at SakuraRidge.com.

The Lodge was updated with sustainability in mind. Materials like cork floors, paper stone countertops and Japanese limestone plaster were chosen to minimize the use of chemicals in the upkeep and last for a lifetime. Guest rooms have an updated, fresh aesthetic with luxurious amenities ranging from stone soaking tubs to a private balcony with unparalleled Mt. Hood views.

Located 15 minutes from the heart of Hood River, the lodge vibes continue to delight guests with long porches, huge logs, and the authenticity of a working farm. A breakfast using organic ingredients is created daily. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to book your stay info@sakuraridge.com or www.sakuraridge.com.