An Appalachian Eden
Apples thrive in North Carolina’s Henderson County
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — When Eve risked plucking that first apple, it didn’t turn out so well. But when farmers in Henderson County, North Carolina, risked their livelihood on apples, they created a veritable Eden.
It was a calculated risk, based on intimate knowledge of the land developed over generations of working family farms. With its mountainous terrain, warm days and cool nights, the western side of North Carolina is ideal for growing apples. The climate provides just the right amount of chilling. Topography works in the farmers’ favor too. When cold air sinks into gullies at the bottom of hills, it protects the fruit trees above from frost. Combine that with good soil and you get consistently good flavor and production. This sparked an interest in resurrecting a craft beverage industry that harkens back to America’s colonial era.
Appalachian farmers intuitively understood the value of apples in the 1800s when trees planted by settler William Mills flourished. Like the original Eden, things went well for a while. In the 1990s, however, North Carolina’s apple industry fell from grace when commercial juice companies outsourced to China.
“Seventy-five percent of the processing market disappeared,” says farmer Kenny Barnwell, who saw his agrarian way of life flash before his eyes. “Except for college, I’ve always lived within 100 yards of an orchard.”
Farm aid Normandy in North America
On the south end of the county, Alan Ward works 100 acres of land owned by his family for nine generations. He opened Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards in 2007. Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider followed in 2018 as the county’s only orchard-based cidery.
Ward leaves apple cannons and fried pies to others, focusing instead on techniques learned from traditional cider makers in Normandy, France. With a purist’s passion, he imported and planted over 5,000 French heirloom apple trees, installed a French distiller and ages his product in French oak barrels. His six ciders range from crisp, clean and effervescent to a sweeter, tannin-rich flavor.
“Apples grown at 2,300 feet elevation taste different than those grown at 4,000 feet,” he explains. “The soil and climate at different elevations affect flavor.”
The county’s recent recognition as a federally designated American Viticultural Area boosts the reputation of local vintners and makers of hard cider, which, like wine, is made of fermented fruit juice.
Embracing the French penchant for patina, Ward spent months converting a 1920s era barn into a tasting room and recently transformed an 1850s farmhouse into lodging where guests sleep within sight of the orchards. (For rates and booking details, call the cidery at 828-685-4002.) By next spring, a viewing area will allow visitors to watch cider being made the French way.
Following Ward on a farm tour, you might envision yourself in northwestern France. (Tours are held weekends during apple season; by appointment at other times.) Scanning the Blue Ridge Mountains, he reflects on what makes this area unique.
“Western North Carolina is home to one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world,” he says. “It’s an extremely biodiverse region.”
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