The Winchester Food Tour makes a stop at Winchester Ciderworks to both do a cider tasting as well as sit down (or really stand up) for an interview with Diane Kearns, Master Orchardist, to learn more about the history of the property along North Frederick Pike in Winchester, Virginia. Misty, Anthony, and Diane discussed how the Winchester Ciderworks business was born, the processes, and all that the Ciderworks has to offer its patrons.
“Uncommon Ciders for the Common Man” — Anthony & Misty met with and interviewed Diane Kearns, Master Orchardist. Diane is the 5th generation at this property which dates back to the 1800s and we learn how this particular building started out as a cold storage facility for apples and was ultimately transformed into the absolutely magnificent tasting room that it is today. Neither our words nor the photographs that close this post do it justice, you simply must visit the Winchester Ciderworks and see for yourself. It’s simply stunning. Winchester Ciderworks is located at 2504 North Frederick Pike in Winchester, Virginia.
Now, in addition to our interview with Diane Kearns, we also enjoyed the opportunity to partake of their outstanding variety of ciders!
From the Signature Collection:Â Â All of the ciders are aged for at least a year, made from Frederick County apples, pressed, fermented, bottled in-house, and then served to you.
- Malice:Â Â A huge fan-favorite, old-school style English Cider made from a blend of five apples.
- 522:Â Adds black currant juice to add a gorgeous pink hue and a fruity aroma and flavor.
- Va-Ginga: Add fresh-pressed ginger, it’s aromatic on the nose and light on the palate. Very nice.
- Pious Pear:Â A 70/30 blend of apples along with locally grown pears, simply delightful.
From the Barrel-Aged Selections, also known as the Wicked Wiles Series:Â Â Created with much respect to traditional cider craft of Western English Counties, aged at least nine months in some of our favorite spirits barrels.
- Bourbon: Touch of bourbon on the palate. If in the mood for a taste of bourbon, a must-try.
- Brandy:Â Light carbonation with a beautiful blend of brandy & apple.
- Rum:Â If rum is your spirit of choice, we’ve got a smooth finisher here.
- Rye:Â Fans of rye whiskeys will find this takes the edge off without losing rye’s hearty flavor profile.
- The Winston: A lightly carbonated blending of the Malice & Bourbon varieties.
Then our tasting closed with two special editions about which you can watch the video to learn more!
This place is warm, welcoming and the ownership and staff are very friendly and eager to please… and very excited to show off their craft! The tasting room is the perfect environment to gather with great friends and enjoy these fabulous adult beverages that are delightful departure from the usual beer or spirits you may have grown accustomed to. So go and sip some of the finest ciders available, crafted from the traditional English Ciders that Master Ciderist, Steve Schuulman, remembers from growing up in Great Britain.
And we will be revisiting the Winchester Ciderworks in the future to bend the ear of Steve Schuulman, learn more about his cider wizardry, and maybe give him a brief break from whipping up his next batch of great cider! And plans are in the works for Taste Winchester History and Winchester Ciderworks to collaborate on an event to get everyone down here to see what we’re raving about! Stay tuned!
Photographs from the Tasting Room:
