how to unplug

 This past weekend Ross and I spent time with his family in the Charlottesville area! It was really great to unwind, without a cell signal, all weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon cider tasting... this was a great alternative to wine tasting and something I highly suggest if the opportunity arises.

We stopped first at the Albemarle Cidery. Their site is a beautiful, large white barn! They were setting up for a wedding, so I couldn't help but sneak a peek. The tasting room is off to the side with a side patio overlooking pastures and a still lake out back. We only saw a few sapling apple trees on the lot - but the plot is huge. See what I saw in the next three photographs, below.

 Three of the four ciders at Albemarle were sparkling and quite tart as they were made with Pippin apples. The last was flat but lacked some flavor. 

Such a beautiful patio to enjoy a bottle of cider together!

Next we were off to Albemarle Ciderworks. These were tasty ciders with quite a bit of flavor! Our favorite was the "Ragged Mountain" - their most traditional of flavors. Not as sweet as the commonly found Woodchuck, but you can really taste the apples in here.

All in all, glad we did cider tasting! And hope to do it again soon but maybe we'll hit up a brewery first!