castle hill cider

  

West of Richmond and slightly East of Charlottesville, Castle Hill Cidery is one of the several emerging hard cider brands in Virginia. They use two methods of production: hard pressed and kvevri. Kvevri, an ancient style of wine production with terracotta vessels, is a painstaking and slow process that produces a premium champagne-style cider product. The grounds and structures are gorgeous and have been well-designed to accommodate both day trips and formal affairs alike.

From top: 1) the entrance to Castle Hill Cider, 2) the stately and well-preserved barn at Castle Hill, 3) Castle Hill Cider tasting room, 4) the Castle Hill brand is promoted similarly to a French-style cider in wine glasses versus a traditional English-style cider, which would be served in pint glasses, 5) Sissy, 6) James, 7) the kvevri yard, 8) James revealing the inside top of a kvevri vessel.

Here is a map I created of current and emerging Virginia hard cider brands: Virginia Cider Trail.