Cidiot

About Cidiot

Learning to live and love life in the Hudson Valley. Hosted by Mat Zucker. Have you fantasized about living in the country? Curious what the transition is like? Or are you a local and want to see a different side of the folks who've invaded your land? The award-winning podcast Cidiot® has been featured in The Albany Times-Union, Chronogram, Country Living, Hudson Valley Magazine, The Poughkeepsie Journal, NBC's Today.com, and more. For updates visit cidiot.com and follow @cidiot.hv on Instagram. Email: cidiotpodcast@gmail.com © MCZ Media LLC 2018-2026. Cidiot is a ® trademark.

Publisher

Mat Zucker - Living in the Hudson Valley

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jul 2018

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

142 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026

   139. Fall Foliage Guide: Hudson Valley Edition

   It's peak leaf-peeping season, and Cidiot® and Kaatscast have teamed up to release foliage episodes the same week. Kaatscast covers the west side of the Hudson; Cidiot's got the east. In this episode, Mat Zucker sits down with Amy Zanne, senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (https://www.caryinstitute.org/) in Millbrook, to answer the question every leaf peeper has: why do leaves do this? Amy — a botanist by training and a recent Hudson Valley transplant by way of New Hampshire — breaks down plant science behind fall color: the pigments that make leaves orange, yellow, red, and purple, why trees drop their leaves at all, how they scramble to reclaim nutrients before winter, and what causes a leaf to let go and fall to the ground. Mat and Amy also get into what separates a spectacular foliage year from a dud and tips for getting the most out of your own leaf-peeping trips — including how to press and preserve your favorite leaves so the color lasts well past the season. Related links to the episode: Fall Foliage Guide: Catskills Edition (https://www.kaatscast.com/fall-foliage-in-the-catskills/) (Kaatscast podcast) I Love NY Fall Foliage Report (https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/) Blog: Places to Take Fall Foliage In the HV (https://www.cidiot.com/138-finch-how-a-birds-nest-named-a-hudson-icon/) (Cidiot.com) Fall Foliage Prediction Map (https://www.explorefall.com/) Paper: Plants in the Afterlife (https://www.caryinstitute.org/news-insights/podcast/plants-afterlife)(Cary Institute) Timecodes 00:00 – Carotenoids vs. anthocyanins, two main leaf pigments 01:41 – Intro: The origins of "leaf peeper" 03:07 – Where to check foliage timing 04:14 – Meet Amy Zanne: her path and what she researches 07:43 – Why leaves change at all 09:50 – How timing varies by species (vessel size, geography, elevation) 12:30 – The tree "economy": pulling back nutrients before shedding leaves 13:33 – Is climate change shifting foliage timing? 15:04 – The three color classes explained: carotenoids, anthocyanins, tannins 19:00 – Why anthocyanins act like sunscreen for a shutting-down leaf 21:41 – The abscission zone: how a leaf physically detaches and falls 24:11 – What happens to leaves after they fall 26:30 – What makes a great foliage year vs. a mediocre one 28:20 – Amy's advice for getting the most out of leaf season 31:12 – Foliage-tracking tools and how to plan a peeping trip 34:22 – How to preserve leaves: pressing them in a book, then sealing with wax paper and an iron Thanks to Brett Barry of Silver Hollow Audio and the Kaatscast (https://www.kaatscast.com/) podcast for editing the show and partnering on this seasonal effort. ©2026 MCZ Media LLC. Cidiot® is a registered trademark.

2. 

   9 Sept 2026

   138. FINCH: How a Bird's Nest Named a Hudson Icon

   Cidiot® sits down with Andrew and Michael, the duo behind FINCH, the Hudson lifestyle store that mixes vintage furniture and art with new design. Mat gets into how FINCH actually started — the leap from Andrew's career building luxury fashion stores and Michael's background in finance to opening a shop in Hudson. Plus, the genuinely sweet story of how a bird's nest (and a very confused house painter) gave the store its name. They also talk about growing a home and lifestyle brand beyond one storefront, the pull between staying small and going national, and how ventures like Sexy Gardener and their new bench and tabletop collection with local artist Helen Dealtry fit into that vision. And Andrew and Michael let two pieces of actual breaking news slip on tape: their new Tomato Leaf candle, and a scent launching this fall they almost swore Mat to secrecy over. Find out in the last episode minute! Special offer for Cidiots Want to discover the unique, layered shopping experience you're hearing all about? Visit FinchHudson.com (http://FinchHudson.com) to shop online and check out Michael's playlist, or visit the flagship store on Warren Street in Hudson — open every day. Celebrate the new scents with 10% off any new FINCH candle or room spray when you use code CIDIOT at checkout. One use per customer, for a limited time. Thanks, Finch! Recorded at Upstate Podcast Studio (https://www.upstatepodcaststudio.com/)in Kingston, NY and edited by Drew English ©2026 MCZ Media LLC. Cidiot® is a registered trademark.

3. 

   12 Aug 2026

   137. Empire Rye: New York's Own Whiskey

   Head north to Old Chatham in the Hudson Valley with us for another walk-and-talk adventure — this time at Silver Brothers Distillery (https://silverbrothers.com/), set on a beautiful former sheep farm with rolling hills, open vistas, and serious "old money" energy. Host Mat Zucker sits down (and walks around) with founder Matt Greitzer — yes, two Matts for the price of one — who traded 25 years of NYC marketing and advertising for full-time farm life and a whiskey business named after his twin sons. Matt G. gives us the full grain-to-glass tour: the milling room, the mash tun, an echoey barrel room holding 610 barrels, and the difference between a hammer mill and a roller mill (it matters more than you'd think). We get into what makes New York whiskey distinct, the Empire Rye designation, why Matt's rye is naturally gluten-safe, and how climate shapes flavor from the Hudson Valley to Kentucky to Scotland. Then it's tasting time: the American Single Malt, the three-year rye, and the very limited Single Barrel Rye #8 — plus new vocabulary for your next tasting room visit, including "grapefruit pith" and "distiller's beer." 🥃 Special offer for Cidiot listeners: Silver Brothers is offering a complimentary tour and tasting, just like the one Cidiot took. Head to silverbrothers.com, select "Tours and Tastings," book a tour, add it to your cart, and enter the discount code CIDIOT at checkout to make it free. The offer is for first-time customers only and available for a limited time — so book soon. And while you're at it, head to the Cidiot.com blog (https://www.cidiot.com/blog/sip-local-how-to-taste-rye-and-single-malt-like-a-pro-with-matt-greitzer-founder-of-silver-brothers/) for a tasting guide so you can pour like a pro at home. 🎧 Episode Timestamps [00:00] Cold open — Matt Greitzer on New York's Empire Rye designation [01:10] Cidiot theme song [01:20] Intro: heading to Old Chatham and Silver Brothers Distillery [02:50] Matt Greitzer's roots in the area and the path back home [05:20] From wine hobbyist to whiskey distiller [06:50] Why whiskey: grain, water, and barrels all on one farm [08:20] The story behind the name "Silver Brothers" [10:00] Property history — from working sheep farm to distillery [11:00] Grain prep and the difference between malted and unmalted barley [11:40] How malting works [12:10] Inside the milling room — hammer mill vs. roller mill [14:40] The production room and the mash tun [15:20] Mashing in and converting starch to sugar [16:00] Fermentation and "distiller's beer" [17:10] How a pot still works and the science of distillation [19:30] 🎁 Silver Brothers listener promo — complimentary tour & tasting [20:10] Into the barrel house — 610 barrels aging [20:20] Where the barrels come from (cooperages and used bourbon barrels) [21:30] Terroir, climate, and how geography shapes whiskey flavor [23:30] What Empire Rye is and why it matters for New York whiskey [24:30] Advice for whiskey "cidiots" just getting started [25:50] The tasting begins [27:20] Tasting the American Single Malt [29:10] Tasting the three-year rye [29:40] Tasting the Single Barrel Rye #8 [31:20] Where to find Silver Brothers whiskey now [32:20] Matt's vision for Silver Brothers' future Thanks for listening to Cidiot®. Come visit. And thanks to guest editor Brett Barry of Silver Hollow Audio and host of Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast. Photo credit: John Gruen ©2026 MCZ Media LLC. Cidiot® is a registered trademark.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

4.3 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

50

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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