Albemarle CiderWorks

We love so many events here including the silent book club, the apple festival, and the chef dinners!

Looking for crisp, dry, earthy, and not overly sweet ciders? This is your place! They have an incredible selection of several varieties of cider from different apples. Some are more tart, some more earthy (my favorite), and some with more sweetness than others. Very high quality ciders and incredible scenery. Perfect place for a picnic or a stroll through the apple orchard.

Charlie was both lovely and knowledgeable about the plethora of ciders. I’m addition, very proud of all the accomplishments the cidery has achieved. Beautiful property with apple trees abounding. We enjoyed our tastings. Many varieties to choose from to fit all the palates out there. Plus, Charlie gave great recommendations on other things around the area.

We attended ghe Apple Festival. Was great weather. It was bjsu but plenty of free parking and well organized. Bring your own chIars as seating was vefy limited. Lots of food trucks and some lines for food were long. Might want to nring you osn drinks as selections at food yrucks were limited. Perfect fall colors! Farmers Market too!

My husband and I stopped by at random with our 5 1/2 month old son and the staff were wonderful! It was nice and open when we arrived and steadily got busier as we enjoyed our cider. They have a lot of cider options and offer an assortment of small bites. Additionally, the staff answered my husband's many questions about the cidery, the process, and the estate itself. They specialize in dry ciders and had four different tasting menu options. The tasting is completed at the bar and are 1oz pours or you can have the ciders as flights with 2oz pours and relax at a table inside or outdoors. They are family-friendly and based on a working apple farm. Check it out!

We had an excellent day! The team was waiting for us when we arrived and they provided exceptional customer service! I would love to bring my team back again for another visit and stay longer. You could not wish for a better view to just sit on the patio and drink some drinks!

We loved the taster from a different cidery and visited this place. Maybe it was the time of the day, but it was way too empty to feel welcomed, with seatings facing the parking spot.

A nice cidery with an assortment of dry and semi-sweet ciders. Good (especially when paired with prosciutto and the locally-made nun’s cheese) but still needs a bit more oomph to be a place I’d like to frequently visit.

Such a nice experience here. Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming and it's a relaxed vibe while still classy and well appointed. We arrived around 1pm on a Sunday and they were having a silent book club meeting in their back space - but easily welcomed us to enjoy a tasting flight, or whatever we wanted from their cooler/selections. My husband spoke to Guy who was incredibly knowledgable and kind. He made some suggestions and let my husband taste a few things before he decided to do their current flight which was March-madness themed and you got to vote on your favorite of the four. Husband really enjoyed the cider (I am pregnant and don't drink anyway so I had a nice, refreshing Perrier drink on ice. Pretty building and property - gorgeous and spotless bathrooms - friendly people. A+ highly recommend if you are nearby.

Southern hospitality. It's real! I missed the turn off 29 and had things to do but after a minute said ... "I'm going" and turned around. So glad I did! From the drive in passing a pond to the orchard and bucolic surroundings, this is a peaceful oasis with unique ciders, heritage apples, and welcoming staff. I was even offered a sample from an experimental batch -what fun! Sitting and enjoying a view and a refreshing tasting of ciders made for a truly picture perfect afternoon.

This was such an unexpected find! I heard VA was known for their ciders. Ciders are typically too sweet for my taste but Albermarle offers dry ciders. It was super crisp and refreshing, especially for a hot summer day! We had our dog with us, and they were super nice and let him come inside since it was so hot outside. They also have snacks for sale and live music.

This is the best cider in Virginia - dry and fresh and so delicious. They have a lovely tasting room and views can't be beat. The apples are grown on site and are all vintage varieties.

Six stars for the amazing staff of Albemarle Ciderworks! We tried both flights, which were solid pours of their tasty ciders. We happened to come during their "March Madness" promotion (in which patrons vote for their favorite cider in each flight), which was extra fun. But what really set ACW apart was how kind their staff was to our kids - they even brought out coloring sheets and crayons for them. They really made us feel welcome. We will be back!

Went with a friend for a day outdoors. This turned out to be such a wonderful day. I had never really had cider before, so cannot speak to it's taste compared to others, however, I liked all the flavors. Very dry, very champagne like, very refreshing. We were able to taste some of the apples, the owner came over and chatted with us for a bit. There was live music on the Sunday afternoon we were there. Will be going back soon. Support local business, give this place a try.

Great experience! For my 21st, we went to a nearby vineyard which was a meh experience, then here, and then lunch in crozet. Lovely view, nice heaters outdoors to keep you warm, and great price for flight tastings!!! I enjoyed 2/4 ciders, but enjoyed the overall experience regardless!! It was probably because I prefer sweeter ciders and they were primarily dry. But the quality was great. I think college students would love this place for its affordability with the tastings! My family and I really enjoyed this place!

Came here because it was open during an ice storm weekend. The people there were so nice and friendly! We don't prefer cider, but it was fun to taste through nevertheless. They specialize in dry ciders so if that's what you like, definitely go! 16 selections!

Came for a Yelp Elite tasting event and had a blast! The place itself is so beautiful and picturesque! The interior is just as nice as well. The event held here was so much fun! They gave us a variety of ciders to try which were all delicious! They provided lots of tasty snacks, and really created such an amazing atmosphere for everyone to socialize in and enjoy. Will try and come back just for a normal visit!

Really nice place, beautiful venue, and wonderful staff. I'm generally not the biggest cider person, so feel free to take the review in that light, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything I had and it made me consider cider in a new way. Will come back.

Such a great experience. Came for trivia on a Thursday for trivia and was back on Sunday. Staff is absolutely wonderful and so nice. Cider is yummy with several other food choices. Overall 10/10

This is Charlottesville's quintessential "artisanal" cidery. They use a wide variety of apples in their ciders, most of them made in a dry or off dry style. You won't find their ciders mixed with various flavoring ingredients (not that those are necessarily a bad thing). What you taste is directly from the apple. The tasting room was quite busy, even late in the day. Fortunately the tasting bar was empty, so I got lots of attention. I liked a lot of my samples, although the only one I really loved was the sour-ish "Cidermaker's Choice" made with Zabergau Reinette apples (which I'd never heard of till then). Sadly it was a one-off trial, but I hope they try it again. The Champaign-style "Brute d'Albermare" was pretty good too.

Very nice friendly people working there. Very good, bone dry ciders. Live music when we visited. Dog friendly. A highly recommended stop on the Virginia Cider Trail.

Good ciders and plenty of outdoor seating. Albemarle Ciderworks specializes in dry ciders and we liked the flavor of each of the four dry ciders we tried. The view isn't as stunning as some of the nearby wineries, but it is still a fine place to enjoy a cider or two on a Saturday afternoon. I would definitely recommend Albemarle CiderWorks.

In my world, there are two types of hard cider. First, you have the farmhouse ciders, which is the champagne meets cider kind of cider. Then, you have the sweeter less fizzy ciders that are more mass marketed like Bold Rock, Woodchuck, etc. My tastes lie more with the farmhouse ciders which is what you will find here. Albemarle CiderWorks is a great place to bring a picnic and spend a day. This is one of my all time favorite places to hang out in when I'm close to Charlottesville. It is located on gorgeous farm lands. If you don't bring a picnic, no worries, you can pick up some salamis and cheeses from their fridge and grab a table. Now when you come in for a tasting ($6, it's a bargain), you'll get a list of six ciders to taste. At the time I was there the following were offered: Jupiter's Legacy, Red Hill, Ragged Mountain, Royal Pippin, Pomme Mary and Gold Rush. Because of the higher alcohol content of cider, I don't remember too much about each cider, but there were a few stand outs including: Jupiter's Legacy-this is the cider they hang their hat on. Super popular. Crisp and acidic with an 8.2% ABV. Royal Pippin- 8.5% ABV, and tastes like pineapple Pomme Mary-my favorite. Just the right amount of sweet and tastes tropically. Apparently pairs well with fried chicken. Just as a warning, you'll always end up bringing something home from here. The first time we visited they gave us two gallons of regular apple cider that had turned so it was not appropriate for children to consume. This last time we walked away with a bottle of Brut D'Albemarle for New Years Eve and the cidery dog Speck tried to come home with me in my car (it was hard to say "no", but I left him there).

Cozy tasting room with great deals and great service. The service is superb. I requested a hot apple cider and even though it wasn't on the menu, the server warmed it up for me and brought it to my table. Flights and tastings are decently priced and I got to take home a free glass. The view is great and so is the atmosphere- very relaxing and cozy especially on a cold winter day. There's some crackers, cheese, and sandwiches you can buy here, too. The hard ciders were unique in their flavors. I personally found them to be too dry and not quite sweet enough. Overall, still a great experience, I'm glad I tried this place out even though I'm not the biggest fan of their hard cider.

Really enjoyed my time here. I got both flights of cider but felt the premium had more unique flavors. Everyone who worked there was really nice and I learned it was family owned. Definitely worth the visit if you are a cider fan

Had such a lovely visit. Ciders are all very tasty, beautiful setting, ample outdoor seating, live music and friendly staff. Will definitely be back!

Great location. Staff is friendly and the cider is single variety hard cider. Very little to no sugar added.

Rain couldn't dampen the trip !!! Nice jazz type music, fun taster flight at a nice price of $5 for 5 samples. Reservations needed for inside seating but they had cover seating outside too

If you like dry siders this is the place for you they tasted fantastic they had a good variety of cheese crackers and meat that you can choose from to go with your siders all in all this maybe one of my favorite spots in the whole set up Virginia

Albemarle CiderWorks is a fairly new family run business that has come on the scene in the last year. They are located in a gorgeous area along the eastern side of the Appalachians - with the leaves turning - makes for a perfect visit to a Cidery! Now I am going to lead off with the following statement - if you read this review and think you want to visit - Beware - most of you are used to commercially produced ciders that are very sweet. The ciders produced at Albemarle CiderWorks are nothing like commercial ciders. They are not sweet. Their ciders are crisp, tart, and light. If you cannot appreciate this kind of cider - you should probably go elsewhere. However, if you can appreciate other kinds of cider, and appreciate, bright, crisp, tart flavors - then by all means - visit and enjoy! Check out the history of cider on their web site - fascinating reading! Albemarle CiderWorks currently has three ciders available for tasting and purchase: Jupiter's Legacy, Royal Pippin, and Ragged Mountain. Their web site describes each cider thusly: Jupiter's Legacy: (price: $18 per bottle) is a fruity blend of classic American cider apples -- Harrison, Yates, Hyslop and Virginia Crab -- augmented with several dessert varieties. This dry cider is fresh, clean, bright and lively on the tongue. It pairs elegantly with traditional American cuisine -- pork and roast poultry -- as well as cheeses, pates and sausages. Royal Pippin (Price: $16 per bottle) is a fruity cider crafted entirely from Albemarle Pippins. It is a dry cider that has a champagne-like quality. It is an excellent accompaniment to many foods, and is a delightfully refreshing beverage on its own. Ragged Mountain (Price: $14 per bottle) is a cider blend of classic apple varieties -- Albemarle Pippin, Winesap, Black Twig, Grimes Golden and Stayman -- historically grown on and around the Ragged Mountains. This is a semi-dry cider crafted to please a wide range of palates. It is good with spicy foods and pairs well with sharp cheeses and fruits. The back of each bottle contains a label with interesting tidbits of information about the cider - it's history and such. I enjoyed all three ciders - and ended up buying a case to take home (12 bottles in a case - so 4 bottles of each cider). If you purchase a case, you get 10% off the cost of the cider. They have a small tasting area where you can sit and enjoy a glass of cider or two after your tasting. They also sell Albemarle CiderWorks polo shirts. In the barn next door, you can sample a wide variety of Apples and they are available to purchase. i will have to visit this place every year!

Excellent Ciders. Lost of selection. Beautiful property. I felt like they did a great job during the pandemic keeping everything clean and everyone safe. Good prices for bottles and tastings. Highly recommend.

The hostess not with any mostess was rude and made us want to leave! Instead of welcoming guests, her first words in a screechy voice were "do you have masks" even though the sign outside said masks recommended not required. How about attempting friendliness and a more welcoming personality for your public-facing business?!

The tasting room and the surroundings of Albemarle are beautiful. But before you come the best review is still the one from Neal E. where he said: "Now I am going to lead off with the following statement - if you read this review and think you want to visit - Beware - most of you are used to commercially produced ciders that are very sweet. The ciders produced at Albemarle CiderWorks are nothing like commercial ciders. They are not sweet. Their ciders are crisp, tart, and light. If you cannot appreciate this kind of cider - you should probably go elsewhere. However, if you can appreciate other kinds of cider, and appreciate, bright, crisp, tart flavors - then by all means - visit and enjoy!" Four plus years later those words are still fact. This is not the land of Woodchuck, Angry Orchard or Strongbow. No, this is pretty much exactly the type of cider that the founding fathers enjoyed so much that guys like John Adams were hittin' the cider more or less from breakfast right through until bed. In terms of flavor, and I'm no cider expert so whatever on what follows next, Albemarle really doesn't sell anything that the average commercial cider drinking person would find to be "sweet". They call their Pomme Mary "sweet" but that's very much a misnomer because it's only sweet in comparison to something like the Jupiter's Legacy or the Arkansas Black which are both very, very tart-crisp-dry. Pretty much things go from dry to really, really dry and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it would be like saying that your whole life you've only been taking Smith Brothers cough drops for a cold/sore throat and now you're going to switch to NyQuil. It's a shock to the palette. The choices are still the five cider tasting for $5 or the premium eight cider tasting for $8 with the option to take home the glass for $2. If a tasting is not your thing they also will sell you any of their ciders by the glass for $6 or a whole bottle for $16 and the by the case discount is still in effect. The only thing noteworthy about the tasting is to give yourself some time because if they get busy it really slows down in between ciders and when we came over Easter Weekend they were understaffed for the number of people present. We did the eight cider tasting and for us some were much better than others and we picked out a few for the road home. (Pomme Mary, Goldrush, Royal Pippin = Nice Arkansas Black = Like drinking dirty-bitter tub water) If you come the tasting room is open year round Wednesday-Sunday from 11-5.

What a lovely little place for tasting some really light and crisp ciders! They have a lovely tasting menu with varying prices (under $10) and a beautiful glass that you can take home for an additional $2. The tasting room is warm and bright and cozy, and occasionally has live music in the evenings. These are not overly sweetened ciders, like the ones you usually buy in a store, so if that's what you're expecting I'd go elsewhere. These are dry ciders, with a really refreshing tartness. In the summer you can also buy a cup of chilled non-alcoholic apple cider, and in the winter they offer cups of warm apple cider which gives you something to sit with for a bit and chat with friends before leaving the tasting room. I'm a big fan of Jupiter's Legacy, and I believe their most popular cider is the Pomme Mary, which is their sweetest but is still nicely balanced compared to commercial ciders. The staff is always friendly and happy to answer questions, as well!

On our long weekend trip we decided to do some tastings and wanted to do some cider since it is not too common. This was our last stop of the day. Things were a little slow as there was one tasting just finishing, one group mid tasting, and us who just walked in and only one person providing the tastings. The woman leading our tasting was quite nice and explained the ciders well. Everything was good and there was not anything that we didnt like. However there was nothing that just blew us away either. It was a fun experience and nice cider however I would probably not come back once I have been here.

It was fantastic to take a break from wineries and have some of the best Cider I've ever had. Albemarle CiderWorks is about a 20 minutes drive south of Charlottesville through the Virginia countryside. The facilities here are top notch - there is a large tasting room that can fit over twenty people, and a generous amount of seating both inside and outside (dog friendly too). We came on a Sunday around 1:30pm, and it wasn't too crowded, even with a Bluegrass band that started playing 20 minutes after we arrived (they were very good). Let's talk Cider - they have two tasting options. The first is the regular $5 tasting of five ciders, and the second is a $8 of all eight ciders they offer; the glass is $2 if you choose to purchase (they also offer some standard touristy merchandise, such as a cider-chocolate apple lollipop that I highly recommend). My girlfriend and I opted for the premium tasting (because we love America) and we were not disappointed. The ciders vary in dryness and sweetness, and it took me a little while to taste some of the more subtle blends. The two that really stuck out for me was the Goldrush, a dry cider that had a hint of grapefruit, and the very sweet Pomme Mary. In sum, I discovered I need more cider in my life, and I may never be able to go back to Angry Orchard, Woodchuck, or Redds ever again. A fantastic experience.

I didn't realize that the tasting room closes at 5PM and I arrived at Albemarle CiderWorks at 5PM. My friend ran into the tasting room to see if they would still allow us to stop by, even if we had to forego the tasting and just buy a bottle of hard cider. The woman in the tasting room was more than welcoming and told us that she was going to be there for a while anyways, so if we wanted to do a tasting, we could still come in. There are two options when it comes to their tastings. Five dollars allows you to try about 4-5 ciders, but $8 allows you to try 7 ciders from the menu. My friend and I each paid the $8. I found several of the ciders to be too dry for my taste. There was a bottle of Pomme Mary which had already been opened earlier in the day, so my friend and I were able to try it, even though it isn't normally part of the tasting; I found the Pomme Mary to be a little too sweet for my taste. My overall favorite cider was the Royal Pippin (my friend's favorite cider was the Jupiter's Legacy). My friend and I each bought a bottle of our favorite cider, and I bought a few bags of cider-flavored chocolate. I emailed Albemarle CiderWorks prior to visiting to see if they were dog friendly. The response that I received said that they were, but asked that I do not bring my dog into the tasting room (for understandable reasons). When I visited, I left my dog in my car while I enjoyed my tasting, although they probably would have let me take him inside since there was no one else there. Afterwards, we asked if we could walk around the premises for a little while, and were given the go-ahead. I retrieved my dog from the car so that he could walk around the orchard/premises with my friend and me. Since I visited in the early evening and no one was around, I was able to walk around with my dog off-leash. We walked through the orchard, where there were plenty of apples in the process of being picked. We also walked down towards the street/entrance, where there was a beautiful pond filled with huge water lilies. We were followed the whole time by the orchard's dog, Speck, who is extremely sweet and playful. As we walked back towards our car, we met one of the owners, who took time to talk with us and answer the few questions we had about the orchard and how/where they make their cider. My friend and I learned that Albemarle is a family-run orchard/business that began only a few years ago. We also learned that there is a guest house on the premises, which can be rented. I would definitely stop by again if I visit Cville in the future!

I've been here twice, once a year ago when we moved to the area, and again a couple weeks ago. Their grounds are nestled in with some apple trees, and look away from 29 so you don't see/hear the traffic. Both times we've been they've had live music on their outdoor patio (which allows dogs). Their cider is not for me. We did a flight both times we visited and our reactions were consistent. All of their ciders are very similar in flavor and none of them are very good. In the Charlottesville area there are a few cideries and this is easily my least favorite. All of the others have at least one cider I've enjoyed, Albemarle CiderWorks is the exception. I won't be coming back. If you're looking for a nice cidery near Charlottesville go check out Castle Hill instead.

This was the second stop on our wine tour. There were 10 of us in total and we had an advanced reservation. Overall- we had a good enough time here but I think it was a good thing we'd chosen to eat a picnic lunch while doing our cider tasting, or else I think we would have been bored. My biggest complaint is that no one explained the ciders to us after dropping off the flights. Each flights had a lot of cider to try! But with such similar tastes, having someone to interpret for us would have been key to distinguishing flavors.

This was our first experience at a cider cellar. It was great. Currently they are doing construction to expand their tasting room however their product is wonderful. There is something to please every cider lover. We aren't really into ciders, however we are now. Each cider was very unique. It is very different from procesco or champagne. Sometimes these can be too dry and sharpe. However cider, when blended with different apples and finished in various styles can be wonderful alternatives to the traditional bubbly. Tastings are also affordable and there is plenty of room to side and enjoy a bottle while snacking. If your driving up or down 29, this is a great place to stop and relax before finishing your drive.

Great venue out in the countryside with a beautiful tasting room with samples, bottle sales, and live music. However, I found the ciders to be one-note and pricey. When you arrive, you get a little run-down on their cider from the staff behind the bar. Then you can do a sampler flight, $10, to get six small flute pours of their available ciders. You can do full pours, $6 per glass, or get entire 750ml bottles to-go or for on-premise consumption ($16). However, I don't see why you would do that without tasting the ciders first. So far, everything is perfect and makes sense. Then it came time to sampling the ciders. These ciders are pretty good, but they all taste the same. I'm not trying to be dense and my palate is certainly not naive as I've been on cider tours of Normandy and Brittany, France. These taste more like white wine than cider. They are super dry and highly acidic. There's a nice balance you can find in cider where you can really bring out the apple character itself with some residual sugar content plus you use the skin to bring balancing tannins - all without the need for major acidity. Since these ciders are so dry, their alcohol level is also a bit high. Most of them were 7-9% ABV with one of them, Gold Rush, clocking in at 10%, which was terrifyingly drinkable and then hit you hard. These ABVs are just really high in my opinion for cider. Then flavor-wise, you are getting acidic white grape over and over again with nothing standout to differentiate their various brands. They all look the same, smell the same. Our group had a consensus on this. Then for their special ciders, they are for sale as bottles only. Since it was 0 for 6 on the sampling flight, no one left with any bottles to go and certainly wouldn't take a gamble on a brand we hadn't sampled before. Overall, I think it is a fun experience novelty-wise, but if you are into ciders, this will be a disappointment.

Best sweet apple cider in years. Can't wait till fall again. What a treat. Once again with great taste. Just had a glass. Wow!

When you think of cider you think of sweet delicious cider, after reading previous reviews of this being more of a "champaign" cider I was excited as I love champaign. We ordered a flight which $10 for 6 different types. The lady pouring our drinks was super helpful and she helped us carry everything outside since we had our dog with us. The ciders were good, just not amazing which is what I had gotten in my head. Probably wouldn't go back, but definitely worth a visit!

We stop here to get fresh amazing apples when we are in the area. Helpful friendly people.

Nice place! We got he tasting which is a bargain. I love that you can bring your own food while enjoying the cider. I think I would've enjoyed our experience more if there weren't kids running through the tables and playing games on the patio where we were sitting.

This place is pretty cool. They are situated on a giant farm with a beautiful apple orchard. They are pretty new - this season was their first bottling of 3 types of hard cider, 2 of which are sold out. Apparently, John Adams drank a liter of Albemarle Cider every morning for breakfast and lived til he was 90. They only had one cider left so they waived the $2 tasting fee. The cider was pretty good and the staff was really nice. It was also nice to switch it up from wine and it's right of the 29 so it's pretty convenient. I think I'll go back in March when they have the next bottling!

Cider and champagne fell in love and produced this astounding cidery! Wow! I don't even want to tell you anything about the cider cause I want you to go and find out for yourself. Your jaw will drop and be like, really, did this just happen? This cidery will make you rethink everything you thought you knew or tasted before, your eyes will be opened to the overwhelmingly massive variety of apples available in the world and how each can be used to create a wonderful taste without the additives of of other fruits. Strictly 100% apple ciders, some made with single varieties that do magical transformations in the bottle. Amazing! The service is beyond compare, phenomenal in all reality because when we walked in the tasting bar was full but one of the pourers came around from behind the bar and said she would serve our tastings at the table which she also afforded another duo the same luxury. She was beyond knowledgable, loved talking about each cider, and was a pleasure to converse with, probably one of my favorite finds while traversing the southwestern blue ridge trails. You won't regret coming here and even if you don't like to drink they have a apple juice made on site without all those pesky preservatives that allow you to taste apple juice the way it's supposed to taste: like sticking a straw directly into an apple and slurping up the same juice that you smell. It's perfection! I don't like grocery store apple juice, too sweet, too processed.... But there's is the real deal! Oh! Psssttt... They use it to make warm mulled apple cider too. A mini apple heaven where apples fall from the sky and are as soft as clouds for hugging and a breeze of freshly picked goodness.

First visit in 2016 wasn't memorable, so we went back in 2017, and it wasn't what we wanted it to be. We were on a weekend of wine and cider tasting with friends, and from that perspective, I felt like every cider we tried at ACW looked and tasted exactly the same. It was really kind of odd. We have had very pleasant customer service at both visits, and there's also been nice (if not a little loud) live music. Cider is my preferred alcohol, and I can name three other cideries in the area that I prefer more.

The ciders here were fantastic-crisp, fresh and not too sweet. The employees were very friendly and welcoming and had a lot of knowledge of ciders in general as well as the ciders made by albermarle of course. The cidery was very nice with fresh apples you could taste and a nice fireplace where you could play games in front of. Beyond the building which was really cute, the ciders were so good.definitely worth the trip and worth getting a few bottles to take home.

Beautiful tasting room and patio that have been added since the last time I visited Vintage Virginia Apples. We came by on a Sunday to pickup some local apples not available at home, and admittedly did not taste the ciders, but hope to make another visit to sample. The tasting room bar was full, and the outdoor patio had a good crowd enjoying a live perfomance by the Hamner Improv Troupe. Back to the apples: 4 varieties for sale when we visited, set out in boxes under a tent. The varieties change seasonally, so call if you're looking for something particular. Each apple has tasting notes and they leave a paring knife so you can try them before you buy. $1.50 pound, pay inside the tasting room. We tried Virginia Gold, Idared, Jonathan, and a 4th variety but I don't remember the name. TIP: The annual Apple Harvest Festival is wonderful, old fashioned family-friendly fun.

Albemarle CiderWorks is one of a growing number of small producers who are contributing to the revival of a tasty American tradition of drinking fermented apple cider. The current tasting at their North Garden cidery includes a sample of their four artisanal hard ciders, two blends and two single source, each varying in sweetness and dryness. All are created from the 80 or so heirloom apples that are grown in their orchard, including several varietals that date back well over 200 years. Amongst the most unique of these is a dry, blended cider called Jupiter's Legacy, which combines several varieties of Virginia heirloom apples (Harrison, Yates, Hyslop and Virginia Crab) with juice derived from British cider apples. The result is a complex, earthy flavor that makes this champagne-like cider ideal for pairing with a gourmet meal. The Pippin and Winesap are more traditional single-variety ciders named for the apple from which they are sourced. Dryer and less sweet than most commercially produced ciders (which often include added sugar), these two small batch ciders have a fruity brightness and tart flavor that is both delightful and refreshing. While all of the Albemarle Ciders are top shelf, my personal favorite was the Ragged Mountain, a semi-dry blend that includes Winesap, Pippin, Black Twig, Grimes Golden, and Stayman. Perfect for standalone sipping or coupled with your favorite cheese or spicy chips. The cidery offers tastings at $4 per person. Unfortunately, this fee is not waived with a per person purchase, which is one of my only minor complaints. The other is that they only discount purchases of 12 or more bottles, which is a big commitment at $16 per bottle. Hopefully they'll consider a half case discount sometime in the near future. NOTE: Fresh, non-fermented cider is available for purchase and to serve to any children or non-alcohol drinkers in your entourage. Cheese and meat plates are also available for purchase. The Albemarle hard ciders are bottled and capped in 22oz champagne bombers, making them ideal for short term cellaring ... assuming you can resist them for that long. Overall, this cidery is a great addition to the growing number of small batch beverage producers in the Virginia Piedmont region and well worth a visit when you are in the Charlottesville area.

A wonderful spot for a visit and cider-tasting. Set in the midst of lovely old apple orchards, and with a very nice tasting room and bar set up, Albemarle Ciderworks gets it right. AND, on top of that - their ciders are fantastic! It's very much like a wine-tasting, though to my mind, even better! From sweet to sour, dry to honey-like, the dozen or so ciders to taste truly illustrate the renaissance of cider-making in the U.S. today. You can also buy the apples straight up from bins - if baking or eating is more your taste! Antique apple presses and cider-making equipment hovers under an open barn roof so you can see how the farmers processed the fruits long ago. A wonderful place to visit on the byways of Virginia!

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Amazing place to chill outside (they are dog friendly) and taste some delicious ciders. We had 5 ciders for $5 ($7 if you keep the cup). They've got a beautiful property, too. If you're a little hungry, get some crackers and goat cheese (it's local).

We're long time members. Big fans of their champagne like, dry ciders, certainly relative to the super sweet ciders that are found elsewhere in this area. We like everything here!

I can only give four stars because they only had one cider for us to try! This is the first year that Albemarle Ciderworks has been open, and they made three types of cider - two of which were sold out. For their second year, they have doubled production and are adding a fourth cider. I am a huge cider fan - and no one believes me when I say not all cider is sweet. At Albemarle, I only tasted Ragged Mountain, the sweetest of their offerings - and it was almost completely dry. Something else to note - everything made here is made by hand processing. New options should be available in May - I will definitely be back!

Went in for a quick cider tasting and ended up learning so much about the history of Charlottesville! The cider tasting was also awesome, btw. The employees were so nice, very knowledgeable about their ciders, and very knowledgeable about the area. This was a great welcome to Charlottesville! If you like cider, this is the place to go! (And I highly recommend trying the 1817...by far my favorite!)

Pretty decent variety of ciders from dry to sweet. Extremely friendly and knowledgable tasting host. Pecks of various apples for sale as well in the fall.

This place was great! If you need a change from all the wine tasting, come here. The guy working the tasting was super friendly and answered lots of our questions. I am by far a cider person when it comes to choosing cider over beer anywhere I go and this was a great place to check out to learn more. As usual you get to keep the glass. Also did you know drinking cider is way to express your patriotism? True fact! It is the American drink and you can learn more about the history of the apple and cider when you go there.