Virginia "wine" (part 2 of 2)

This post is all about cider - more specifically Bold Rock Cider (of Virginia). While cider isn't exactly "wine" in our hearts, it is by legal definition, as it's fermented fruit juice. The cider industry in the US has been historically small, and honestly, I've never been a huge fan of the product as it always seemed super sweet, kinda syrupy (essentially a variation of Mike's Hard Lemonade...)
That's all changing - and fast! Craft cider is on the rise and I spent a few hours over lunch with the VP of Retail Operations for Bold Rock - one of the hottest craft cider companies in the US (keep your eye on this!). We talked history, product, and growth aspirations for the brand...

History

The founder of Bold Rock used to flip land (basically buy up some land, beautify the landscape, and sell it). But, he fell in love with one of his properties and decided to keep it. He decided that he wanted to find a way to draw people to the property -- but how? Cider. The founder teamed up with a New Zealand cider-maker and Bold Rock was born.



The product

While I initially harbored skepticism that cider could be as interesting, varied, and enjoyable as wine (or craft beer even), I was pleasantly surprised by the product lineup. Cider offerings included: dry varietals, pear cider, rose cider, traditional pressed, to name a few. Apparently, a good cider-maker can play with the same features that characterize wines: taste, mouthfeel, weight, etc. Experiencing these ciders helped me realize that many of us in the US have only been exposed to simple, Franzia-like ciders - there's so much else out there to explore!

Growth aspirations

 The company has been wildly successful since it started in 2012 and is flying off the shelves at retailers around Virginia, North Carolina, and other states in the region. The company is continuing to expand throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. In my opinion, I'd be really excited to see the product make it out to the west coast - but the company is determined to hold true to making the highest quality, crafted, fresh-pressed product possible. This possibly conflicts with rapid growth so it'll be interesting to watch how quickly the company decides to scale over the next few years.

If you make it out to Virginia, I recommend you stop by for a visit!