The Blue Ridge mountains have long produced fine apples. Queen Victoria so prized Newtown Pippins from Bent Mountain and central Virginia that she removed the export tax from this spicy aromatic apple. The orchards at Foggy Ridge Cider continue this tradition of well grown apples, carefully selected for flavor and hardiness.

Quality cider begins with quality cider apples. Foggy Ridge Cider blends heirloom American apples like Harrison, Graniwinkle and Roxbury Russett with traditional English and French cider apples to create cider with uncommon depth and balance.

Cidermaker and apple grower Diane Flynt continues to experiment in the orchard. See the Foggy Ridge Orchard Notebook for detailed bloom and harvest records. Every apple plays a role–the striped red cherry-sized Virginia Hewe's Crab contributes sugar and texture to Foggy Ridge's First Fruit blend. The English cider apples Dabinett and Tremlett's Bitter balance Sweet Stayman with acidity. So bitter it is called a "spitter