CiderWorks makes tasting the hard stuff easy

Stop by Albemarle ciderWorks this weekend for a tasting!.
FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MCNAIR

Chuck and Charlotte Shelton of Albemarle CiderWorks at Rural Ridge Orchard in North Garden, just off of 29 South, want to invite you to a tasting this Sunday, September 26 from 1pm to 3pm. Their artisan hard ciders will be paired with cheeses from Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromount Farm and accompanied by jams by Daniel Perry of Jam According To Daniel.

Founded in 2008, Albemarle CiderWorks is a family-run apple orchard and cidery that produces cider from heritage varieties of apples that thrive in Albemarle County. They grow a dozen or so heritage apples as well as other old-fashioned varieties that are blended to create full-bodied ciders to rival those produced in the Colonial era. If you can't make it out to the tasting, their ciders are now available at Beer Run, Court Square Tavern, feast!, Foods of All Nations, Greenwood Market, In Vino Veritas, Wine Warehouse, Market Street Wineshop, Mona Lisa and Tastings.

Last July, former Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine presided over the grand opening of the cidery, one of only two hard cider producers in the state.

It's really spectacular," said Gov. Kaine of the hard cider. "If you want to put me on a billboard or something to promote it, I'll do it."

So far, Kaine hasn't been spotted on any billboards.