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Season Over for Thursday Evening Sunset Series (2016)

Posted by :Julia Prince On : September 23, 2016
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That’s a wrap, folks! The first day of fall—September 22—brought the final Thursday Evening Sunset event of the 2016 season.

Thursday Evening Sunset Series for Summer 2016

We had perfect weather for the last session of our Thursday Evening Sunset Series for 2016. Way to go out with a bang!

And what a great year it was. Through great weather and not so great weather (we certainly had more than our share of Thursday thunder storms this year!), the community flocked to the mountain for the best sunset view in Charlottesville.

Stormy weather at Thursday Evening Sunset Series for Summer 2016

A storm in June just made for an even more spectacular sunset!

What is dinner without a little music? Thank you to the talented local artists who performed throughout the season. Artists included:

  • 180 Band – favorite rock/dance tunes from the 60s through today
  • 2 Wishes – 50’s and 60s covers and original rock, country, and soul
  • Folk Medicine – contemporary songs in Old Time and Traditional vocal style
  • Fulltone to the Max – timeless blues and classic rock
  • Gary Broyles – covers of blues, Motown, British Invasion, and country
  • Greg Ward – vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer – seasoned in his reggae roots
  • Local Vocals – 60s and 70s classic rock
  • Lock Jaw – 5 piece rock and blues cover band
  • Matthew McAllister – independent folk singer/songwriter
  • Oh Wow Boy! – retro Americana
  • Steve Michael Smith – blues, jazz, roots
  • Together S.O.U.L – Americana and folk music with male-female harmonies
  • Tyler Dick – Covers spanning 5 decades, your favorite rock and soul music, with his own originals to boot

Thank you to everyone who spent their Thursday evenings with us. We’ll see you on the mountain for sunset views, dinner and drinks, and live music next year!

The sunset series may be over, but fall is in full swing on the mountain! Pick your own apples are now in season, and ready-picked pumpkins are available—just in time for Halloween and fall decor.

Thursday Evening Sunset Series for Summer 2016

BuzzFeed Visits the Mountain

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : September 13, 2016
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BuzzFeed—you’ve heard of them, right? Well, we already knew how amazing Charlottesville (and Carter Mountain Orchard) is, but after their visit in August, we think they’re convinced too!

Apple Cider Donuts“But what if we told you Virginia is wine country, and good wine country at that?” says BuzzFeed. “You’d probably say, ‘No! Biddies. Bonnets. BUTTER.’ That’s what we said too (in not so many words) when we learned we were going to Charlottesville, Virginia, for the Monticello Wine Trail.”

Well, no offense to biddies, bonnets, and butter (who doesn’t love butter?) but us Cville locals know that there’s so much more to Charlottesville than visitors expect. Yes, we have a rich presidential history. And yes, we are home to a world class university (go Hoos!). But we are also rich in local food, craft beverages, and general merriment set against stunning views of the Blue Ridge.

Our BuzzFeed visitors agreed.

“Another must is Carter Mountain Orchard. With its live music nights, cornhole, and apple cider doughnuts, Carter Mountain is extremely family friendly. But you could also just come, spawnless, and drink all the fruit. Try Bold Rock Hard Ciders on tap. Tastefully dry and brisk, these ciders will surprise you with flavor profiles more akin to champagne than juice. And let’s not forget about the WINE SLUSHIES at the Prince Michel Wine Shop on site.”

Some of the other Charlottesville favorites that the BuzzFeed team visited included:

Check out the full BuzzFeed article at buzzfeed.com/virginiatourism/wine-lovers-weve-found-your-new-paradise.

BuzzFeed staff "Hangin’ out at Tom-Tom’s house, NBD"

Pancake 5K Race 2016

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : September 12, 2016
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In true Southern summer fashion, it was a gorgeous and very hot morning for the Chiles Pancake 5K Race—a fundraiser benefiting Western Albemarle Rescue Squad—on Saturday, September 10. The heat didn’t impact the festive atmosphere, great turnout from community, and stellar participation of 119 runners—our best year yet!

Chiles Pancake 5K race logoBen Sutphen claimed first place overall (time: 19:14.9) and Bridget Donaldson was the first-place female finisher (time: 21:18.9). For the 12 years old and under crowd, Ronan MacDonald finished first, with a time of 22:13.9. Jim Bell took first place within the over 70 group with 25:15.1. Congratulations to this year’s winners! For the full race results, click here.

This event would not have been possible without the army of community volunteers who helped with registration, parking, timing runners, and other critical tasks. Thank you, volunteers!



Thank you sponsors!

Day-of support for runners:

Items donated for silent auction from:

Update: February 2017

The 2016 Chiles Peach Orchard Pancake 5K attracted 120 runners and raised over $2,300. Chiles Peach Orchard store manager Lisa Henson presented a check for $2,371 to Western Albemarle Rescue Squad president Bill Wood on January 6. Read more about the race in the Crozet Gazette.

Bold Rock Tasting Room at Chiles Peach Orchard Now Open

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : July 10, 2016
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The new outpost for Bold Rock Cidery is now open at Chiles Peach Orchard!

A Cider Garden Among the Peach Trees

Hard cider lovers have been enjoying the delicious convenience of the Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar at Chiles since the tasting room opened the first weekend of June. The Cellar is now open daily 11AM – 6PM and features 8 award winning hard ciders on tap as well as tasting flights, pints, merchandise and cider to go.

Bold Rock Hard Cider cellar interior in Crozet

Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar interior. Photo courtesy of Bold Rock

Bold Rock Hard Cider premium bottles at ChilesThe friendly and informative Bold Rock staff are looking forward to introducing new customers to their hard ciders and cementing the longstanding bond customers have already established with Bold Rock beverages. The Cellar has 8 ciders on tap and offers tasting flights for those looking to experience a number of different styles at once. Already loyal to one special cider? Go right ahead and enjoy your favorite cider by the pint, fill a growler, or grab a case to bring home.

The Cellar also offers fun SWAG items for sale, including T-shirts, bike jerseys, pint glasses, growlers and a myriad of other items.

A Cellar Crafted for Crozet

“Bold Rock is a locally owned hard cider producer and the Cellar at Chiles Peach Orchard is just one more way that we can become closer to the community that has been so supportive since we started back in 2012.”

For Bold Rock, it’s all about local. The great proximity to the growing Crozet and Western Albemarle community as well as the “tree to bottle” experience that they’ve enjoyed at the Tap Room at Carter Mountain Orchard was one of the motivations behind opening The Cellar at Chiles. “It really hits home for the consumer when we can explain that we source our apples from locations just like this orchard to craft our award winning hard ciders,” says Lindsay Dorrier, Director of Retail Sales for Bold Rock. “In fact, the Chiles Family is one of our principle suppliers of fresh, high quality apples used to create our hard ciders and that relationship was also a leading reason why we have now launched this new retail experience.”

The most important aspect of the retail experience? The Crozet community!

“This is community-focused,” Lindsay told the Crozet Gazette. “It’s for Crozet to be able to get to the cidery. We mean to engage with cyclists and runners. They can stop and get a refreshing cider. We’d like it to be an early-evening spot, so you don’t have to hike to Charlottesville.”

Bold Rock Outpost in Crozet

Lindsay Dorrier at the new Bold Rock Cellar at Chiles Peach Orchard. Photo courtesy of The Crozet Gazette.

The Cellar is still a work in progress, with plans to build out the space over the summer with TVs and an indoor seating area. Other plans for the future include introducing regular music, programming, and activities for Cellar visitors and possibly expanding the daily hours on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate the early evening crowd on the weekends.

Bold Rock looks forward to enhancing the already great Chiles Peach Orchard experience that you’ve come to know and love—cheers!

In the mood for wine? Visit the new Prince Michel tasting room just a few steps away from the Bold Rock Cellar!

About Bold Rock

With more than 75 awards to its name, Bold Rock Hard Cider can now be found throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. The new Cellar at Chiles supplements Bold Rock’s already bustling Tap Rooms at Carter Mountain, the Cider Barn in Nellysford, VA and the Cidery & Tap Room in Mills River, NC.

Prince Michel Tasting Room at Chiles Peach Orchard Now Open

Posted by :Julia Prince On : July 10, 2016
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The Prince Michel tasting room at Chiles is now open daily!

In a continuous effort to provide wine lovers with a memorable wine experience, Prince Michel offers multiple settings to enjoy their wines. Their latest satellite tasting room at Chiles Peach Orchard provides visitors with the unique opportunity to appreciate first-hand the partnership between growers and producers.

The relationship between Prince Michel Winery and Chiles Orchard began over a decade ago with special plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and has flourished into a collaboration of two separate tasting rooms located in the actual orchard and vineyard sites owned by the Chiles family. Winery owner Kristin Holzman sites her relationship with the Chiles family as, “one of my most successful and harmonious in this industry.”

Guests to the newly constructed Prince Michel Tasting Room can taste wine inspired by peaches grown feet from the wine shop. The relaxed atmosphere and open, natural spaces provide wine lovers the chance to taste wine in a setting suitable for the entire family.

The Rapidan River Peach is just one wine available for tasting and purchase. Wines range from high-end “craft” wines—like Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Franc grown from select Virginia vineyards—to more unique wines from the Rapidan River series, like Semi-dry Riesling, Peach, and Apple.

The Prince Michel tasting room at Chiles is open Thursday through Saturday from 10AM – 6PM and Sundays from 10AM-5PM.

In the mood for hard cider? Visit the new Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar just a few steps away from the Prince Michel tasting room!

About Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery

Prince Michel is one of the oldest and largest wineries in Virginia, producing award winning red, white, and sweet wines. As a pioneer in the Virginia Wine Industry, Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery has set the standard for exceptional wine and an equally exceptional wine tasting experience since its 1982 founding in Madison, Virginia. Located in beautiful Leon, VA, the winery now has tasting rooms at both Carter Mountain Orchard and Chiles Peach Orchard.

You Love Us! Orchards Earn 2016 TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : June 6, 2016
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For the 5th year in a row Carter Mountain Orchard has earned a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. This is the first year that Chiles Peach Orchard has been eligible for the recognition and they too received a Certificate of Excellence.

Sounds like the pick-your-own fruit, fresh cider donuts, views, and memories were universal hits!

Some of Our Favorite Recent Carter Mountain Orchard Reviews

“I have a moody teen boy and even he enjoyed the walk around the orchard looking for the perfect apple to pick. Great family outing…will do this again.”

“The apples are incredibly crunchy and juicy….definitely better than store bought ones…”

“The view is insane, the sunsets are mind blowing, the donuts are jaw jiving, the Bold Rock cider is liquid gold, and the apples will punch your taste buds with splendid favors you could of only dreamed of. Don’t pass this up. Make a trip and be sure to try a little bit of everything as its got a lot to offer.”

“For the past 9 years my family has visited Carter Mountain with our children and grandchildren. It is a wonderful day trip with plenty for the whole family to do…Make sure to get there early as the mountain gets crowded, and prepare to have loads of FUN!”

“You just have to do it. Fall isn’t complete without an orchard visit!…Make this a family (or friend!) tradition for the Fall…Remember your camera for panoramic views of the Blue Ridge!”

Come visit us on the mountain and leave your own review!

And Our Favorites for Chiles Peach Orchard

“The smell of peaches and fresh baked donuts welcomes you into the farmstand/market.”

“My gosh they can grow peaches! They are huge and so good when fresh! Pancake breakfast on weekends is good for young children. BUT go for the peach milkshakes!!!! That is the whole purpose of the review. Get a large milkshake!”

“Chiles is one of our favorite places to be. Beautiful area and the best peaches that you’ll ever have. Lots of other wonderful fruit options through the seasons as well. The people that run Chiles are wonderful.”

Try the milkshake for yourself and let everyone know what you think!

About the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

“With the Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor honors hospitality businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings from travelers,” said Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, TripAdvisor. “This recognition helps travelers identify and book properties that regularly deliver great service. TripAdvisor is proud to play this integral role in helping travelers feel more confident in their booking decisions.” The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world’s largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 340 million unique monthly visitors, and 350 million reviews and opinions covering 6.5 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide.

Surprise! We’re Open This Weekend

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : June 3, 2016
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Surprise! We found some cherries you can pick! Mother Nature hid some and we found them this week. We’ll be open June 3-5, as well as June 9-12 from 9AM – 5PM for picking!

Be sure to like us on Facebook to get all the latest news and picking updates.

Tasting Rooms Opening at Chiles Peach Orchard

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : May 25, 2016
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Update: The Tasting Rooms are Now Open!

Our family is thrilled to welcome Bold Rock Hard Cider and Prince Michel Winery to Crozet!

Why should Charlottesville have all the fun? We are pleased to announce the opening of new tasting rooms for Bold Rock Hard Cider and Prince Michel Winery at Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet!

Our family has enjoyed strong partnerships with these fine local companies for years, supplying a lot of the fruit used to make their delicious beverages. We are excited to offer our customers the convenience of enjoying these high-quality products right here at Chiles.

Strawberries in Bold Rock Hard Cider at Chiles Peach Orchard

“Cider, wine and berries!” Photo credit: Lewis Ann Connolly, Facebook

Bold Rock will feature 8 ciders on tap, plus do growler fills and sell 6 packs and cases to go. Prince Michel will offer tastings and sales by the glass, bottle, and case – enjoy about a dozen wines (several made with grapes from Carter Mountain Orchard).

The interior of the tasting rooms is still under construction, but we anticipate opening in early June! Until then, we’ll be hosting tastings on the deck, Thursdays through Sundays.

Work up your thirst in the strawberry fields (pick-your-own strawberries are still in season!) and then check out the new tasting building, it’s practically in the orchard!

Prince Michel wine tasting at Chiles Peach Orchard

Kylie and Morgan from Prince Michel Winery setting up for wine tastings

Bold Rock Hard Cider tasting at Chiles Peach Orchard

Kim, Sean, and Sam from Bold Rock conducting a hard cider tasting

The Tasting Rooms under construction at Chiles Peach Orchard

The Tasting Rooms under construction at Chiles Peach Orchard

We’re Not Opening for a 2016 Cherry Season and Here’s Why

Posted by :Cynthia Chiles On : May 25, 2016
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In the orchard business, we can control a lot of things. The weather, however, isn’t one of them. Mother Nature has the final say, and she determined that we didn’t need any sweet cherries at Spring Valley this year. While we don’t agree with her thinking, all we can do is go along with it.

The winter of 2016 was one of the warmest in a while, and our fruit trees showed it. Trees bloomed 3 weeks earlier than last year, and while that seems like a welcome entrance to spring, farmers know that it can mean problems later. While it’s not unusual to have some sub-freezing temperatures in April, it’s not normal for the trees to be as advanced as they were this year. Our cherry trees in particular were in their most vulnerable stage, with the blossoms fully opened (and unable to protect the embryo cherry inside).

Some of the damage was visible immediately (the blossoms turned brown, a sure sign). We did hold out hope for a while for a partial crop, as some of the cherries continued to develop and seemed that they had survived. However, the cold temperatures proved to be too much for them. The cherries grew for a couple of weeks, and then started falling to the ground. We are left with trees with no fruit for this year.

While we may have a few cherries that we can sell as already picked, there are not nearly enough to open Spring Valley Orchard for pick your own cherries this year. We’ll miss seeing you, and hope you will visit us at Carter Mountain Orchard and Chiles Peach Orchard. We’ll be back strong, Mother Nature willing, in 2017.

Behind the Music: Thursday Evening Sunset Series

Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : May 12, 2016
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Our Thursday Evening Sunset Series has become a Charlottesville summer tradition! This year’s musical lineup is amazing. Check out the complete series schedule on Thursday Evening Sunsets Series page or view individual events on our events calendar. Here are a few highlights for this season:

Local Vocals

Charlottesville band Local Vocals

Local Vocals Trio

Local Vocals is an eclectic acoustic trio featuring the vocal stylings of Cindy Perfater, former lead singer with Charlottesville’s Houserockers Band for over 25 years; Pat Burns guitarist/vocalist formerly with the The Kool Kats and City Lights; and Mike Perfater guitarist/vocalist who spent nearly three decades with The Houserockers Band as its founder and leader. The trio’s musical style relies heavily on tight three part harmonies, with all three members alternating as lead singers.

Local Vocals performs a wide variety of traditional classic acoustic rock of The Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, America and Jimmy Buffett along with familiar modern selections of The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Linda Ronstadt and ambitious unplugged versions of pop and rock groups whose music spans 6 decades.

Together S.O.U.L

Ryan and Emily of Together Soul at Carter Mountain

Ryan and Emily of Together SOUL at Carter Mountain

Together S•O•U•L is an acoustic duet composed of Ryan Garst and Emily Kresky formed in Charlottesville, Virginia. While band member Ryan Garst has had an upbringing in low-country Virginia, Emily Kresky was born and raised in urban New Jersey. Together, they prove a genuine eclectic musical genre which has influenced their music to be diverse, upbeat, and relatable to many. With many original and cover tunes in their repertoire, matched with gorgeous vocal harmonies and melodic guitar lines, Together S•O•U•L is the perfect acoustic duet for an evening at Carter Mountain!

Genres range from Folk/Bluegrass to Classic Rock/Adult Alternative. Together S•O•U•L takes the stage with two guitars, two microphones, and a lot of spirit for a truly candid performance. A typical show includes stories and songs that involve the crowd and create an air of community, memories, and good vibes.

2 Wishes

Charlottesville Band 2 Wishes

2 Wishes Duo

When Harry met Sally, there was a lot of confusion… But when Mike and Joy met, and sang together, it was instant musical harmony! Since then, they have become “2 Wishes,” singing and playing at events around Virginia. The music of choice is jazz, including Bacharach and David hits, 50’s and 60’s music, original compositions plus rock, country and soul tunes.

2 Wishes has a blast on stage, and it’s infectious. Come listen to their beautiful harmonies, serious guitar playing, and bad jokes!

180 Band

Local music act, 180 Band

180 Band

180 is Central Virginia’s favorite dance band, playing your favorite rock and dance tunes from the 1960’s through today, including The Beatles, Gloria Gaynor, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, REM, and Dave Matthews.

You might have spotted the seven-piece band in places such as Fridays After Five, UVA Football games, Charlottesville’s Fourth of July Celebration at McIntire Park, The Relay for Life, The Bartender’s Ball, Ash Lawn, Starr Hill, Men Who Cook, Dogwood Ball, even John Paul Jones Arena!

You want Respect? 180’s got it.

Good Lovin? They’ve got it, too.

Wanna Dance the Night Away or go to the Love Shack? You can do both with 180.

Greg Ward

Greg Ward

Greg Ward

Greg Ward, a man of many talents; vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Seasoned in his reggae roots within the music scene, Greg inspires others to great heights of spiritual oneness. Through his passion on stage, Greg awakens this in others and uplifts them to the realms of their spiritual natures, an out of body experience! His original, positive and conscious lyrics, as well as chart topping covers over his natural reggae rhythms, captivate audiences, whether performing as a “one man band” or with one of his many outfits; Greg Ward Project, Positive Collective and Stable Roots. As a “one man reggae band” Greg mesmerizes his audiences with his looping skills, building entire songs from scratch while utilizing his loop station, guitar, drum machine, and a microphone to create layers, in turn projecting a full band sound!

Steve Michael Smith

Steve Michael Smith musician

Steve Michael Smith

Steve Michael Smith performs more than 100 jazz standards from the 1920s to today; more than 100 blues and R&B tunes; and a wide selection of pop, reggae, originals and favorites from the Great American Songbook. As a solo act, Steve often plays live performances in restaurants, lounges, wineries, as well as for private parties, corporate events, weddings, music halls and blues/roots festivals.

In addition to his solo musical work, Steve performs as guitarist and lead vocalist of the eight-member band, Funk45. He also performs straight ahead jazz with The Funky Urban Southern Ensemble (F.U.S.E.), of Afton, Virginia.

Oh Wow Boy!

Oh Boy WOW band

Oh Boy, WOW!

Oh Wow, Boy! plays feel good retro Americana music on upright bass, guitar and various percussive instruments. These three multi-instrumentalists, Susan Munson, Marc Lipson and Frank Bechter will WOW you with their versatility and song selection. Old classic sing-a-longs, eclectic hits and new originals!

Thursday Evening Sunsets Series

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P.O. Box 229
Batesville, VA 22924
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