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CULTURE THE WORKING POUR
Best pressed
Wednesday 5/25 music
A rise in popularity finds Virginia cider going for the gold By Paul Ting living@c-ville.com
Irish Wednesday. Music from King Golden Banshee. Free, 5:30pm. The Pub at Lake Monticello, 51 Bunker Blvd., Palmyra. lake monticellogolf.org Mike Rosensky and Jeff Decker Quartet. Late-night live music. Free, 8pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com
Glassware: Although you may not drink cider from wine glasses normally, using a wine glass helps distinguish flavors because of its wide bowl and ability to concentrate aromas for evaluation. A larger, thinner bowl will help you swirl cider to bring out subtle aromas.
dance
Taste in order: Taste dryer, lighter ciders first and then move on to sweeter, heavier ciders. Appearance: Look closely at color and clarity. Do you see bubbles? Is the cider watery and thin or full-bodied and syrupy? Smell: Put your nose in the glass and evaluate the aroma. Can you smell anything, or is the impression intense and pungent? Does it smell like apples, pears, other fruits, flowers, herbs, vanilla, honey, spice? Is it musty? Taste: Allow the cider to touch all parts of your tongue. Do the flavors match the aromas that you identified? Is the cider sweet, acidic, bitter? If there is sweetness or acidity, is it in balance, or does the cider seem flat or sour? Mouthfeel: Is it light, like water, or does it feel heavier, like syrup? Does it dry out your mouth or is it creamy?
Albemarle CiderWorks 2019 Hewes Crab is one of the gold medal winners in this year’s Governor’s Cup competition.
Berto and Matt. Brazilian and Latin guitar night. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
The process of tasting cider is similar to tasting wine, but the underlying flavors vary between the source fruit of apples and grapes. Like wine, specific training exists for those who taste cider professionally. These tips let you be the judge.
Comfort: Take your time. Taste in a well-lit, odor-free environment. Stay hydrated as you taste.
Length and finish: How do the flavors change and finish? How long does it last? Overall impression: What is your final evaluation of the cider? Is it pleasant? Is it complex? Is it balanced? STAFF PHOTO
May 25 – 31, 2022 c-ville.com
How ‘bout them apples?
Temperature: Most people drink cider chilled at colder temperatures, but tasting at slightly warmer temperatures, 55 degrees is suggested, helps bring out flavors and textural components.
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eginning in 2021, the annual Virginia Governor’s Cup competition, which traditionally recognizes the best wines in the state, included a separate category for cider. In 2022, the competition awarded 10 gold medals to ciders and Albemarle CiderWorks’ 2019 Hewes Crab won Best in Show. Opened by the Shelton family in 2009, Albemarle CiderWorks is Virginia’s oldest operating cidery. Production has expanded from three types of cider to the current count of 15 different varieties. The growth of Albemarle CiderWorks parallels the renaissance of cider in Virginia, and its resurgence in the United States. Cider is considered one of the country’s original beverages, brought here from England by the first settlers and produced by several of the founding fathers. While consumption waned as beer and wine became popular, consumer interest has reignited in recent years, resulting in more cideries, more variety, and an increase in the volume of production. In Virginia, cider falls under the same category as wine for tax purposes, and some of these tax dollars are controlled by the Virginia Wine Board, which uses the money for marketing, research, and other initiatives. As the cider market has grown, Virginia has ramped up promotion of the beverage. These efforts extend to the inclusion of cider in the Governor’s Cup, increased marketing, and the recent
expansion of the state-funded Winemakers Research Exchange (see page 16) to include cider in its research and education efforts. With cider’s inclusion in the Governor’s Cup, the VWB recognized the wine/cider apples and oranges (well, grapes) situation by forming a separate category for cider, and assuring that the cider judges are distinct from the wine judges. This year’s judges panel featured cider enthusiasts, cider makers, cidery owners, and even a certified pommelier. Similar to the better-known sommelier designation for wine, the establishment in 2019 of the pommelier designation is more evidence of cider’s growing importance in the United States. While a historic beverage rooted in history, cider is still new to many and presents an opportunity to taste, explore, and keep drinking local.
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honey Cutters. Lyrically driven, country roots music. $20-25, 6pm. Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Pairing: Try pairing your favorites with food and see how your impressions change.
The Wavelength. Joined by special guest David Drubin on drums. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com Vincent Zorn. Performing live on the patio. Free, 6:30pm. Red Pump Kitchen, 401 E Main St., Downtown Mall. redpumpkitchen.com
Latin Night with Bachata Social. Dance the evening away with bachata, salsa, merengue, cha cha, cumbia, reggaeton tunes, and more. Free, 6:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com
stage Accidental Death of an Anarchist. A self-proclaimed “maniac” infiltrates central police headquarters and, using an increasingly absurd set of disguises, manipulates his bumbling interrogators into telling the truth. $20-25, 7:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
classes The Shine Guide: Flower Arranging. Teens and preteens learn the art of flower arranging from experts at the Charlottesville Garden Club. Free, 4pm. JMRL: Gordon Avenue Library, 1500 Gordon Ave. events.c-ville.com
etc. Make Your Own Impact Meet Up. Tackle climate change by learning how to reduce your carbon footprint. Free, 5pm. Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave. theclimate collaborative.org
Thursday 5/26 music Berto and Vincent. A night of wild gypsy rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com The Wavelength. Vintage rock, jazz, and blues. Free, 6pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
stage Accidental Death of an Anarchist. See listing for Wednesday, May 25. $20-25, 7:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
classes The Shine Guide: Relaxing Yoga. Teens and preteens join Dr. Ina Stephens, UVA professor of pediatrics and medical yoga and integrative health specialist, for a yoga class focused on relaxation and stress reduction.
