Sonoma County
Virginia Dare Hard Apple Cider is crafted exclusively from Russian River Valley in Sonoma County with the area’s famed Gravenstein apples. Gravenstein apples were introduced to Northern California in the early 19th century by the Russian fur traders for which the Russian River Valley is named. Once a great source for applesauce and apple cider distributed throughout the United States, many Gravenstein apple orchards have been replaced by vineyards with only six commercial growers remaining in Sonoma County.
Cider is woven through early American history with English colonists bringing the craft of making cider to the Americas in the 17th century. Cider was not only safer to drink than water, it was used as currency among the colonists and quickly became the drink of choice for the founding fathers. Virginia Dare celebrates early American history and cider gives us one more way to explore the myths, people, places, and history that shaped early American winemaking.
