>>> THE YADKIN VALLEY IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS MANY VINEYARDS AND
WINERIES.
HOWEVER, ANOTHER OLD BEVERAGE IS MAKING A COMEBACK HERE ALONG THE
FOOTHILLS, AND IT'S NONE OTHER THAN HARD CIDER MADE FROM FRESH
NORTH CAROLINA HEIRLOOM APPLES.
IT'S BECOMING SO POPULAR, IN FACT, IT'S BEING HERALDED AS THE
NEW "IT" DRINK THANKS TO SEAN AND PATRICIA McRITCHIE OF
THURMOND AND THEIR WINERY BY THE SAME NAME.
>> I WOULD DESCRIBE US AS A SMALL ARTISAN PRODUCER OF TABLE
WINES AND HARD CIDERS MADE FROM LOCAL GRAPES AND APPLES.
>> THEY SAY THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE CASE WITH SEAN.
>> MY HUSBAND, SEAN, HAS ALWAYS WORKED IN WINERIES.
HIS FATHER'S A WINEMAKER FROM CALIFORNIA AND OREGON.
AND SO WHEN WE DECIDED TO START OUR OWN BUSINESS, WE WANTED TO
PLAY ON HIS HISTORY OF WINEMAKING AND THE FAMILY
HERITAGE AND ALSO CREATE A NEW HISTORY AND HERITAGE WITH NORTH
CAROLINA APPLES.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE CIDER BECAME PART OF THE STORY.
>> HARD CIDER, IT'S WINE LIKE ANY OTHER TYPE OF WINE, ALTHOUGH
THE RAW MATERIAL IS APPLES.
SO HARD CIDER IS APPLE WINE.
YOU TAKE APPLES OF ALL SORTS, GRIND THEM, PRESS THEM, JUST
LIKE YOU WOULD A GRAPE.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS WHEN YOU GRIND APPLES, IT'S LIKE GOING
THROUGH A GARBAGE DISPOSAL.
YOU'RE GETTING PULP OUT OF THE APPLES.
YOU REMOVE THE JUICE OUT OF APPLES AND TRANSFER TO TANKS AND
BEGIN FERMENTATION.
>> I NEVER REALLY DRANK A LOT OF CIDERS UNTIL I CAME TO McRITCHIE
AND HAD HIS CIDERS.
THIS WAS PROBABLY FIVE YEARS AGO, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND I FELL IN LOVE.
>> IT'S REALLY CHILLED.
CLEAN ON THE PALATE.
IT'S GOT A GREAT FINISH.
I REALLY LIKE IT.
>> IT IS LIKE BITING INTO A CRISP APPLE THAT YOU WOULD FIND
GROWING ON THE BLUE RIDGE.
>> HARD CIDER IS A SMALL BUT FAST-GROWING INDUSTRY, BUT ITS
ROOTS GO WAY BACK.
>> HARD CIDERS WERE ONCE THE MOST PREVALENT BEVERAGE IN THE
UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS, AND THAT WAS BEFORE THERE WAS
SAFE DRINKING WATER AND BEFORE THERE WERE LOTS OF HOPS AND
BARLEYS AND GRAINS FOR BEER.
SO CIDER WAS THE GO-TO BEVERAGE.
IT WAS SAFE.
CIDERS TYPICALLY WERE VERY LOW ALCOHOL AT THAT TIME.
SO EVERYONE FROM CHILDREN THROUGH ADULTS WOULD DRINK
CIDER.
>> NOT ONLY IS HARD CIDER NOW A DELICIOUS DRINK OF CHOICE.
IT'S INCREASINGLY LOOKED UPON AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BEER AND WINE
AS WELL.
>> WE DO TWO DIFFERENT STYLES OF CIDER RIGHT NOW.
ONE IS A COMPLETELY DRY CIDER, AND THE OTHER ONE HAS A LITTLE
BIT OF SWEETNESS TO IT.
>> IT'S AN INTERESTING BEVERAGE TOO.
IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE AN ELEGANT PRODUCT.
IT FITS WELL WITH SOME NICE -- SOME FOODS.
HAS ITS OWN LITTLE NICHE OF -- YOU KNOW, OF FOOD PAIRINGS.
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST MORE INTERESTED IN THAT.
>> I WOULD PROBABLY PAIR IT WITH SOMETHING LIKE OUR DUCK PIZZA
THAT WE HAD AT THANKSGIVING OR MAYBE A LIGHT PASTA DISH.
>> THE LIGHTER FOODS IT WORKS GREAT WITH, EVEN THE PORK.
IT WORKED GREAT WITH BEEF.
TODAY I'VE GOT CHICKEN KEBABS ON THE GRILL.
THE KEBABS WILL GO INTO A STEAMER, THIS STEAMER POT HERE,
AS A MATTER OF FACT.
IT HAS THE HARD CIDER IN IT.
SO IT'S STEAMING IN SOME OF THE HARD CIDER.
>> THE CIDER IS GLUTEN-FREE, MADE FROM 20 DIFFERENT VARIETIES
OF APPLES EITHER GROWN ON THE ESTATE OR PURCHASED LOCALLY.
>> OUR STYLE IS TO JUST APPLE ONLY.
WE DON'T DO BLUEBERRY FLAVORS.
WE DON'T ADD THINGS TO THE CIDER.
IT'S JUST APPLES FERMENTED DRY VERY MUCH LIKE THEY WOULD HAVE
DONE, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
>> IT'S THAT CONCERN FOR THE HERITAGE OF THEIR CRAFT THAT'S
OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE McRITCHIES, BOTH IN THE TASTE OF
THEIR CIDER AND HOW IT'S MADE.
>> THERE'S A GOOD FARMING TRADITION IN THIS AREA AND IN
THE MOUNTAINS OF THE BLUE RIDGE FOR APPLES.
AND SO WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO INTEGRATE WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
AS WELL AS WHAT WE CAN DO AT OUR OWN ESTATE PROPERTY.
MAKE A PRODUCT THAT'S REALLY REFLECTIVE OF THE AREA.
>> I THINK THAT CIDER IN NORTH CAROLINA IS VERY FITTING.
YOU KNOW, WE PRODUCE APPLES.
WHEN YOU'RE DRINKING CIDER, TASTING CIDER, APPRECIATING
CIDER, LEARNING ABOUT CIDER, YOU ARE VERY MUCH IN YOUR LOCAL
ELEMENT.
YOU'RE TASTING THE FARM THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF
MOST PEOPLE'S HOUSES.
YOU'RE TASTING THE PRODUCT THAT'S PRODUCED, YOU KNOW,
WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF YOUR HOUSE, AND YOU PAIR IT WITH
SOMETHING LOCAL.
IT'S FUN!