Troddenvale "House Cider" Virginia 2021

FROM DISCO LIQUIDS:

THE CIDER: Now having several vintages of House under our belt, this cider feels like it is truly coming into its own. Our goal all along has been to make a cider representative of our greater region, built on varietals that either originate or have a long standing history of cultivation in Virginia and the greater south east. More so, a focus on varietals that truly grow well in our region, yielding a profile of cider that is reflective of its origin. 2021 also marks the first year we have introduced the use of Black Locust barrels, a tight grain wood that is native to our mountains and kin to Acacia of Europe. Although only composing <10% of the blend, its subtle influence can noticed in both its aroma and pallet. On the nose this year’s house offer a touch more softness while still retaining its hallmark bright, citrusy tones. On the pallet it lends a touch more grip and riper fruit tones than the 2020. Mild maceration depth carry forth with a more herbal lemon yielding some complimenting bitterness.

THE PRODUCER: In their own words: “Troddenvale roughly translates to the ‘valley road’ and is inspired by a lengthy history of visitors traveling to the cradle of Virginia’s Warm Springs Valley. Translated through our cider, we strive to preserve this valley’s treasured history, its spring water, forgotten orchards, and furthermore, we seek an opportunity for new stories to be told - of the land, the soil, and the people. We are focused on revitalizing fruit growing for cider production in our mountain region of Virginia. We believe that dedicating our efforts to where fruit is grown and how will lead us to achieve the greatest potential in our cider.”

In their efforts to support the broader region, they glean a lot of fruit from old abandoned orchards and seedlings on the perimeters of properties. However, they also consistently buy fruit from growers in the area, working with them to improve their agricultural practices even if the farmers are resistant to organic/regenerative agriculture. Will and Cornelia planted a home vineyard (pictured above) to many varieties and are farming it according to regenerative principles. They have also started a food share (basically a farmer’s market) that’s transforming the region’s agriculture; their chicken farming neighbors now sell the majority of their chickens to customers in Western VA.