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Carter Mountain Orchard Open Every Day

The sweet smell of spring is in the air! C’mon out to breathe it in and enjoy panoramic views of Charlottesville growing greener, we’re now open daily 10 AM–5 PM.


Carter Mountain wine being bottled

Cheers Are in Order

Keep a glass ready, we’re preparing to release our new Carter Mountain wine! We can’t wait to share the fruits of our labor with you later this year.


Display of Easter merchandise at Carter Mountain Orchard

Have an Eggcellent Easter

Hop up the mountain to snag some truly adorable bunnies, kid-friendly crafts, and spring fling cookie cutters from the Country Store.

We won’t be hosting an egg hunt this year, though we can’t wait to get back to it in 2022!


Sunset at Carter Mountain Orchard

On the Horizon

The sun just loves showing off and we are here for it!

Thursday Evening Sunset Series kicks off on May 7, keep an eye out for the musical lineup and ticking info on our calendar and Facebook page.


Cider donut with mountain views in background at Carter Mountain Orchard

Wednesday is the New Friday

You can find us now at the Local Food Hub Wednesday Drive-Thru Market @ Seminole Square (instead of Friday).

We’re keeping our Ivy Road Pop-up through 2021 on Thursdays– Saturdays.


Carter Mountain Orchard's recipe for apple cider donut bread pudding

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

If you thought you loved our apple cider donuts before, wait until you try our cider donut bread pudding.

Grab it fresh from the Country Store or whip up a batch yourself with our recipe.


Bottle of Bold Rock Hard Cider seasonal watermelon on ice
Bold Rock Watermelon Cider blends the iconic summer refreshment of watermelon with deliciously crisp Blue Ridge apple juice.

Enjoy the View with a Seasonal Cider in Hand

The Bold Rock Tap Room at Carter Mountain Orchard has also kicked off their 2021 season. Soon you’ll be able to admire the budding peach blossoms while sipping on your favorite brew, whether it’s hard cider, seltzer, tea, or lemonade.


Get fresh orchard info, ready-picked for your inbox by subscribing to Carter Mountain Orchards today!

BuzzFeed Visits the Mountain

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"

Bold Rock Tasting Room at Chiles Peach Orchard Now Open

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.

Tasting Rooms Opening at Chiles Peach Orchard

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

Moonlight Movies Series at Carter Mountain

The Virginia Film Festival takes to the outdoors again to present a series of free screenings at Carter Mountain Orchard, sponsored by Bold Rock Hard Cider. Join us on the mountain for “Moonlight Movies” throughout the summer: June 3 for The Lego Movie, July 8 for The Peanuts Movie and August 12 for Hook! All Moonlight Movies screenings are free and open to the public, and begin at sundown (approximately 8:30 PM). Come early to enjoy food, Bold Rock Hard Cider, and live DJs by WTJU. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome for these family friendly events.

For Moonlight Movies updates, join the events on Facebook:

The Lego Movie

Friday, June 3, 2016 | 8:30 PM 
Free and open to the public 

Free Outdoor Screening of THE LEGO MOVIEThe Lego Movie had record-breaking box office success and quickly became a family-movie favorite when it hit theaters in 2014. Set in the Lego universe, this computer animated adventure stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, and many more. Emmet, an “everyman,” must help stop the evil tyrant Lord Business, with the help of his friends, in this film for all ages.RSVP on Facebook!

 

The Peanuts Movie

Friday, July 8, 2016 | 8:30 PM 
Free and open to the public

Free Outdoor Screening of THE PEANUTS MOVIECharlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of gang are back in this computer-animated film. Based on the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, the film is written by his son and grandson. This time Charlie Brown is on an adventure to improve his chances with the Little Red-Haired Girl, while Snoopy and Woodstock write a novel about the World War I Flying Ace. RSVP on Facebook!

 

Hook

Friday, August 12, 2016 | 8:30 PM
Free and open to the public

Free Outdoor Screening of HOOKCelebrating its 25th anniversary, Hook brings to life the beloved story of Peter Pan with a twist. In a sequel to J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter and Wendy, an adult Peter (Robin Williams) has forgotten all about his childhood. But when his old enemy Hook kidnaps his children, Peter must leave his life as a corporate lawyer behind to go on a journey back to Neverland to save them. RSVP on Facebook!

Carter Mountain Now Open for 2016 Season

Spring came early, and one thing farmers do is listen to Mother Nature. So, we are open!

It’s not quite pick-your-own peach season (see our fruit availability schedule) but there’s still plenty to do on the mountain!

#1 Eat

Carter Mountain Apple Pie

The bakery is overflowing with apple-y goodness: apple cider donuts, apple pies, and good ol’ regular apples are waiting to be enjoyed.

#2 Drink

Prince Michel wine at Carter Mountain Orchard

Is there a better way to spend a springtime afternoon than sipping award-winning wine while enjoying the best view in Charlottesville? The Prince Michel Wine Shop is open daily from 10AM – 5PM (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!).

If you prefer to drink your daily fruit serving (hard cider counts as a serving of fruit, right?), the Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar is also open every day!

For the under 21 crowd, our apple cider is a sweet thirst-quencher. Not to mention, the perfect complement to an apple cider donut.

#3 Shop

If you’re craving some retail therapy but are tired of the same-old, same-old Charlottesville shopping scene, explore our Country Store to discover local and unique treasures. New products have just arrived, click the below thumbnails to view more!

#4 Unwind

CM-AaronWatson-2015-view-011-vineyard-1000x450

Life’s simple pleasures are the best. Breathe fresh mountain air, bask in spring sunshine, and marvel at the view of springtime blooming across Charlottesville.

#5 Snap some pictures

Spring peach blossoms at Carter Mountain Orchard

Calling all photographers! (Or nature-lovers with a smart phone) With peach trees now in bloom and apple trees ready to bloom in the next couple of weeks, early springtime is one of the most beautiful times of the year to take photos on the mountain.

(Note: please review our photography guidelines)

7 Reasons to Visit Carter Mountain over Easter Weekend

Whether you are celebrating the holiday with young children or a house full of grownups, Easter Saturday on the mountain has something for everyone.

1. Join Kids Easter Egg Hunts

Decorate your own Easter egg bag and then the hunt is on! Hard candy and surprise prizes are waiting to be found inside each egg, thousands of which are hidden throughout the orchard. Several egg hunts are scheduled throughout the day for different age groups, including a hunt for special needs children of all ages.

2. Be a Kid Again with Egg Hunt for Adults

Why should kids have all the egg-hunting fun? For those of us big kids who have watched kids Easter egg hunts with a jealous eye, our time is finally here; introducing the “Never Grow Up” Easter Egg Hunt for adults! Hunt for eggs stuffed with local-crafted chocolates, SWAG, wine coupons, gift cards, and #BeBold Member Cards. It wouldn’t be an adult hunt without an adult beverage treat! One lucky big kid will find the extra-large Bold Rock Honeydew Green Egg, which introduces Bold Rock Hard Cider’s new Seasonal Honeydew Cider.

3. Visit with the Easter Bunny

Santa’s fluffy friend will be on the mountain all day to pose for pictures and spread Easter cheer. Over-sized ears, gleaming white fur, fluffy cotton tail—who doesn’t love this human-sized hare?

4. Get Hands-on with Spring Crafts

Kids of all ages can enjoy making tissue paper flowers, coloring, stickers, and more. Did we mention that the crafts are free of charge?

5. Relax with a Hayrides

If you’ve been craving a ride in the open air, rolling down the windows in the car just won’t cut it. Settle onto the hay bales and let our tractor do the work while you sit back, relax, and enjoy the stunning mountain views. Hayrides will run from 11AM-4PM (weather and crowd dependent).

6. Savor Fresh Cider Donuts

Forget marshmallow peeps, we propose a new Easter dessert—donuts! Carter Mountain’s famous cider donuts are packed with cidery goodness and sprinkled with sugar. The long winter left a donut-shaped hole in our stomachs that only Carter Mountain cider donuts can fill.

7. Enjoy Seasonal Adult Beverages

It’s a holiday weekend, relax a little! Both the Prince Michel Wine Shop and Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar will be open from 11AM-5PM to serve your favorite local adult beverages. As a special treat, Bold Rock will introduce its new honeydew cider.

For more event details, visit the Easter Eggstravaganza events page.

Discovering Virginia: Carter Mountain Orchard

Carter Mountain Orchard, next door to Monticello, has been a working commercial orchard for more than 100 years. Owner Cynthia Chiles talks to Virginia Voice’s Lou Dean about the apple varieties the orchard produces and the full experience visitors can expect, from apple picking to special events to school field trips to geocaching adventures. And who can forget the hot apple cider donuts? Listen to the full interview with Lou Dean (27 minutes).

Here are the highlights:

Carter Mountain Orchard grows about 15 different apple varieties, as well as peaches.

First apples come in during July, and are picked all through November. (Check out our apple availability chart!) Apple varieties include Ginger Gold, Gala, Golden and Red Delicious, Rome, and Albemarle Pippin.

To extend the season at Carter Mountain, the Orchard has planted peaches, which are available as both pick-your-own and ready-picked. Carter Mountain’s sister farm, Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet, grows mainly peaches, but there visitors can also find pick-your-own strawberries, pumpkins and some apples, in season.

If you only want apples, go to the grocery store.

In fact, Carter Mountain sells apples to the grocery store. But if you’re looking for the full experience and to spend time outside, come to Carter Mountain! “I love to see a light bulb go off in a child’s head when they connect the apple from the grocery store to the apple they picked from the tree and hold in their hand,” says Cynthia.

The “Buy fresh, Buy local” effort has been good for Carter Mountain’s business and has brought many families to Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Families can make a day or weekend trip out of a visit to the Orchard by including a trip to Monticello, local wineries and breweries, or Shenandoah Park.

There’s a lot of history on Carter Mountain.

The farm is part of a 10,000-acre land grant to the Carter Family from House of Burgesses and referred to often by Thomas Jefferson in his writings. Carter Mountain has been a commercial orchard for over a century!

“We’re just trying to use the land we’re blessed with the best we can,” says Cynthia. “It started with my mom sitting up here and selling a few apples. We added a bakery and made apple cider donuts. I think people come for the donuts more than the apples!”

The Orchard is kid-friendly.

Because it is such a family experience up here, the Orchard started talking to local schools. The schools wanted to show children where their food comes from and Carter Mountain wanted to help.

Cynthia recalls, “Now I’m going back 30 years—my mother would get up on the school bus and talk to the kids. Then we’d put them on a hay wagon, and we’d give them a bag to pick apples in the orchard. The last couple of years we’ve had about 10,000 children each fall, and these are some of our favorite days when the school buses are rolling in. Depending on each age level, they get an age-appropriate lesson. We talk about the economy and apple production.”

Learn more about our field trips

In addition to schools, Chiles Family Orchards works with Girl and Boy Scouts who are earning patches for their requirements and church groups that come for a youth activity.

Cider, Hard Cider, and Wine

Carter Mountain Orchard grows 5-6 different grape varietals and partners with Prince Michel winery to bottle Carter Mountain wine. The newest addition to the Mountain is a tasting room for Bold Rock Cider, which opened in June 2015. Carter Mountain even provides most of the apples for Bold Rock—we recommend trying their IPA, India Pressed Apple!

Carter Mountain Orchard featured in Blue Ridge Outdoors “Top Towns”

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine visited us last week to video a segment on their Top Towns Contest, sponsored by Bold Rock Hard Cider

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Apple Picking Has Begun

Stay Local, Play Local at Carter Mountain

Carter Mountain is your summer “staycation” destination!

Pick Your Own Fruit

Come pick your own fruit and enjoy a view that goes on for miles. Our tree-ripened peaches are still in season, and apple picking has just begun! Come pick your own Ginger Gold apples—sweet yet tart, crisp and juicy. Ginger Gold apples make a great fresh snack and also shine in salads, baking, and sauces.

Learn more about our apple varieties and apple availability at Carter Mountain.

Events for the Whole Family

Join us for a Charlottesville summer tradition, the Thursday Evening Sunset Series! Each Thursday night, through September 24, we stay open til 9 p.m. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m., with hayrides (weather permitting) from 5:30 p.m. til dusk, and live local music from 6 to 8:30 p.m. See who’s playing this week.

We’re also excited to announce our first ever BBQ challenge! The Thrill of the Grill: Mountain Top BBQ Cook Off will be held on Saturday, August 15th.

Get a Taste of the Mountain: Wine & Hard Cider

Prince Michel Winery and Bold Rock Hard Cider each have tasting rooms on Carter Mountain, and are open each day from 10 a.m. til closing for samples and sales. The wines and ciders are made with grapes and apples grown on our farm!

Video clip courtesy of Newsplex