Today, we are blessed with the knowledge that Vintage Virginia Apples plans to construct a 4,000 square foot cidery (like brewery, but for apples) and tasting room on their farm on 29 South.

Vintage Virginia Apples will seek approval tonight from the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Yum.

DP’s claim that cider production has “largely fallen out of flavor in the US,” is only partially true.  While, cider consumption in 1767 doubled today’s beer consumption (40 gallons vs 20 gallons), a lot of this had to do with familiarity in cider production and the fact that fermented cider served as a bacteria-free drink.  Even, John Adams successfully drank a pint of cider every morning to “settle his stomach.”  You can’t make that excuse with beer, now can you!? [ref, ref]

Cider’s popularity did dwindle pre-1990; the fault of those pesky Germans who knew how to brew amazing beer on the cheap.   Evidence also suggests that NASCAR played a strong role.  I digress.

Cider is on the rise and according to the same report, it was reintroduced to the US in 1990.  By 1995, the total number of cider cases shipped was 1.6 million. In 1997, the total was 2.7 million cases.  Money time!

Cider is on the rise and you only have to be around a few places in Charlottesville to realize its popularity.  You can find Woodchuck in any major grocery store, plenty of local bars have had Original Sin on draft and high-end beer places like Market Street Wine Shop and Beer Run offer solid rotating cider selections.

Sure, you can’t find cider at Applebee’s, but you can’t find micro-brews, either.  So, keep your eyes peeled on this one and we should soon be celebrating the real meaning of an Apple A Day!

[via Daily Progress]

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