Vintage Virginia Apples

      ...from the rich orchard heritage of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains

Eighth Annual Cider Maker's Forum

Saturday, April 17, 2010

10:00 a.m. -- 4:00 p.m.

Rural Ridge Orchard

Workshop fee: $85.00; Registration limited to 50 participants.

Cider press used in the past at Rural Ridge Orchards.

Some of the apple varieties used to make a delicious blend for cider.

Click here to register online via our Catalog.

Click here for a printable registration form that can be mailed to us with your check, money order, Visa or Mastercard charge.

Cider was an important craft and industry in the American colonies and young republic into the 20th century. It was an important dietary staple and used for barter. Hundreds of varieties of apples were grown just for this purpose. The art of blending and fermenting a fine cider is enjoying a renaissance today with artisnal cider makers practicing this craft in various corners of the country. This meeting is dedicated to fostering this pursuit. We will discuss varieties of apples, the challenges of developing an orchard, and of fermenting fine cider.

This year's forum will focus on cider production in Virginia. This year's Forum will be led by Virginia's own cidermakers Diane Flynt, whose Foggy Ridge Cider is Virginia's first craft cidery and Chuck Shelton, whose Albemarle CiderWorks hosts this event. They will be joined by Jocelyn Kuzelka, winemaker from Stuart, Virginia; along with orchard consultant Tom Burford and author Ben Watson for an in-depth exploration of the crafting and production of fine artisanal ciders. This event includes the history of cider, its many styles and purposes, and concludes with a focused tasting of Virginia ciders, and samples from other parts of the country.

Lunch will be served and is included in your registration fee.

Workshop Schedule for "The American Cider Revival"

10:00—10:30 a.m.	Registration Welcome and Overview Charlotte Shelton
10:30—11:15 a.m.	Orcharding for Ciderists—Tom Burford and Chuck Shelton---Finding the Right Fruit
11:30 a.m. —12:15 p.m.	Introduction to Cidermaking—Diane Flynt and Jocelyn Kuzelka
12:15 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m.	Crafting Traditional American Cider –Chuck Shelton  and Diane Flynt
2:00—2:50 p.m.	Flavor-- Cider Styles and Tasting—Ben Watson with Diane Flynt, Chuck Shelton, Jocelyn Kuzelka
3:00—4:00 p.m.	Fruit, Production, Markets—Where Now? Legal and Logistical Issues

Cost is $85.00. Join us for this informative and tasty event!

       

Chuck Shelton creates a special cider blend at Rural Ridge Orchard. Fermentation is a further step to create the fine quality cider that Diane Flynt is producing at Foggy Ridge Cider.

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