Recently I spent a couple days traveling the backroads of the Shenandoah Valley into the Appalachian Highlands visiting as many craft beverage establishments as possible. This endeavor included four wineries in the
Shenandoah Valley, two breweries in the
Appalachian Highlands, and a couple cider houses within both regions. Here's the
story.
The
Warm Springs Valley is a narrow mountain valley in
Bath County shaped by the Allegheny Highlands and has a long history of mineral‑spring activity which has been enticing visitors to the region since the early eighteenth century. The valley floor sits between parallel ridgelines, creating a landscape of mixed pasture, forest, and small agricultural holdings, with elevations rising sharply on both sides of the valley.
Warm Springs Run flows through the center of the valley, fed by the natural warm springs that give the area its name. The combination of sheltered terrain, reliable water sources, and cooler nighttime temperatures has supported farming for more than two centuries and continues to define the geography surrounding Hot Springs and Warm Springs today.
Oakley Farm is one of these historical agricultural holdings - founded in 1834 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the oldest continuously operated farms in Bath County. The property sits at 2,400 feet on a karst limestone in Warm Springs, Virginia and is surrounded by the George Washington National Forest. Over nearly two centuries, three families have shaped and stewarded this farm. Today, Oakley is home to two ventures,
Troddenvale and Foodlore, "each rooted in the land and in the traditions of food, farming, and gathering that continue to shape this valley".
Troddenvale can be roughly translated to the “valley road” and is inspired by the long history of visitors traveling to Virginia’s great springs region: the Warm Springs Valley. The cidery focuses on producing ciders from fruit grown in the Appalachian Highlands and their estate orchards include a mix of heirloom and modern apple varieties suited to the region’s cooler nights and well‑drained soils. I learned later that they also source apples from Virginia's modern pomme pioneer, Diane Flynt, and her
Foggy Ridge Cider. Troddenvale's ciders emphasizes traditional styles without additions or adjustments. They rely on native yeasts that provides genuine complexity and individual character; fermenting in neutral oak that creates depth; and unfiltered bottling that provides texture.
During our visit I sampled five ciders that were offered as their weekend sampler. The first was the
2024 House Cider ($22), produced from a blend of apples grown on the farm and nearby orchards -- including Foggy Ridge. Interestingly the fresh pressed juice was fermented in a combination of French, American oak, and Black Locust barrels. House Cider is made in a straightforward manner, relying on natural acidity and the characteristics of the fruit to present a dry profile with moderate tannin and the light orchard‑fruit notes typical of Appalachian‑grown apples.
The
2024 Forage Cider ($26) was next and as the name suggests made from apples collected from wild or unmanaged trees located near to Oakley Farm. These trees often include older or unidentified varieties that persist in the region’s hollows, fence lines, and former homestead sites. Foraged apples can show higher tannin, variable acidity, and more rustic aromatics compared to cultivated fruit. The resulting cider presents a drier, more structured profile starting with an interesting sour grapefruit note that after strongly aerating mellows into a more Martinelli fresh apple flavor.
The 2024 Petit Cider ($25) is produced from 100% Virginia Hewe’s Crab apples grown at Foggy Ridge, Countryside Farm & Nursery, and apples from Hidden Valley in Warm Springs planted by the forest service in the mid 1990s. After native fermentation and resting on its lees for many months, the cider was bottled and let to rest 10 months before release. The tasting notes genuinely reflect the orange marmalade notes that slowly open after the reduced aroma is allowed to aerate.
The
2024 A Little Man Sings ($30) is a natural wine made from
Petit Manseng where the grapes were grown in Crozet Virginia at
Grace Estates Winery and
Chiles Family Orchards. The grapes were foot tread and macerated whole cluster for two weeks. Upon fermenting dry, the wine was pressed directly to barrel, blending with a small amount of reserve wine from previous vintages. The barrels sat open and un-topped for 12 months. The result is a tart wine with some pineapple and other tropical notes with a unique brown sugar character. And still plenty of acidity.
The final offering is the 2023 Family Ties ($45) - a truly unique collaboration between Lightwell Survey and Troddenvale. This wine-cider hybrid is made from Traminette grapes blended with Virginia Hewe’s Crab. "Once the cider reached near-dryness, clusters of Traminette grapes were foot-tread, pressed, and combined with the cider in a neutral French oak barrel. The mixture rested undisturbed until it was racked off its lees in early March 2024 and bottled still." I really enjoyed this collaboration with the spicy and floral character of the grapes mingling with the tartness and tannin of the crabapples. Perhaps its blaspheming but I would augment with a little sparkling water to return the a more effervescent character. Cheers.