castle hill cider

The building and grounds are awesome. Very nice place that would be great for weddings or events. But their ciders were not very good at all. They all tasted the same. And the young lady doing our tasting seemed pissed off that we didn't want to buy any food or more than one bottle.

We were staying in Gordonsville at our time share and decided we wanted to try some local cider. After doing some shopping in Charlottesville we headed via our GPS to find Castle Hill. It was quite the drive through the middle of nowhere and we wondered several times if we were totally off track. We persevered and were at last at Castle Hill. It is a large sweeping piece of property and we were warmly greeted by a roaring fire when we arrived, which was such a treat on a rainy, cold day. We were the only ones there so we had the full attention of the staff. We did the tasting flight and enjoyed the various ciders they produce. We learned a little about the different methods they use to make their ciders. We felt welcome to spent as much time as we wanted sitting by the fire and enjoying our favorite glass of cider. The property is lovely but our view was limited because it was such a cloudy, hazy day. I imagine sitting out on the lawn in the fall would be breathtaking. If you are in the area on a weekday and have time to spend an hour or so just sitting and relaxing in the quiet countryside this might be a good choice for you.

Drove up to this beautiful estate and was really impressed with how this place looks. We were welcomed with a nice warm fire in a cold day. The host was very nice and cheerful. It was a very busy day and just one host which made some a bit impatient but she mangers to handle the crowd very well. I wish l remembered her name so l could at least commend her for her hard work as l know it was not easy. She knew her ciders and this is what made the experience enjoyable. It's $8 for the tasting and you get to try 7 different ciders. The host spoke through each cider, how it's made, the different ingredients and the time it's taken. I can understand the hard work that is put into these ciders but there are products which are a lot better out there. I feel that there are offering too many products instead of concentrating more on the ones they think will do best. I guess it is why they call it a wine tasting and they are trying to figure out what works best. All in all great service!!!

We happened upon this place when we googled "cider" on the way back to Maryland from Shenandoah. The setting is amazing - old estate, gorgeous rolling hills and a new barn they use for cider making, tasting, and weddings. There was a wedding happening later in the afternoon of our arrival, but they accommodated us for a tasting. The bartenders who were serving were great by overwhelmed by too many people. The tasting area just isn't set up for a crowd. I drink a lot of bottled 6-pack cider, and this was an amazing difference - more like wine. Some nice very dry and clear ciders, and one held in bourbon barrels had a nice flavor. Bought a half case that we enjoyed for Thanksgiving. Bathrooms are upstairs, so not accessible. Wish they could ship to Maryland!

The grounds are lovely, and the tasting room warm and inviting. It was not busy when we arrived, and the three young ladies working there doted on my kids. The ciders are very good, though not yet great. But I have great hopes for what they will do in the future. Drink these ciders the way you would drink wine, instead of thinking of them as an alternative to beer.

We stopped at Castle Hill as the 3rd stop on our wine tour. We were greeted pleasantly at the door and then walked into the tasting area. The woman who placed us, placed us and then placed 3 other ladies right with us in a bar space meant for 4 (we became a total of 10). After some initial confusion, we realized that she meant to put all 10 of us there and we started chatting with the ladies. Our server, possibly overwhelmed, was not at all friendly nor did he do any type of explaining about the ciders. If we wanted to know something, we either had to read the descriptor or ask him. To the point that had we not been keeping track, we would not even know which one we were on. This was upsetting to us because 3 of us work at a winery that has a cider and my boyfriend, whose birthday it was, loves ciders. I'll be honest in saying that I can't speak too much to whether the cider was good because I'm not a cider fan but due to the service we received, my boyfriend did not buy any cider. A couple of our friends did make a purchase but this was the only place that neither my boyfriend nor I purchased anything. I'm guessing that this place may be a good place to visit at a time when it was not so busy but with our experience, I'm not sure we would give it another chance should we decide to return to the area.

You need to go there just to see it. It really is lovely and I agree with other reviewers that it is the perfect place to get married. They do have tastings. We were the only ones there the day we visited and the staff was friendly and nice. I'm not a big cider person but it was interesting and I did find a few that I liked!

Having been to many wineries over the years, I would put this venue on the low end of what I've experienced. The host was pleasant enough when we first showed up but when a group she seemed to know arrived they became the focus of her attention. We samples six of their ciders for eight dollars And the host provided a little information about each. But there was no discussion about the property, the history of cider, and all their things which make a visit interesting and memorable.

We were there as they were just starting to set up for a wedding, and you could tell it was going to be gorgeous. Just the views coming up the driveway were great. This was our first time at a cider tasting, and I was surprised at the SIZE of the pours! You really got an accurate taste of these ciders, and they were nice, dry and light. Several nice areas to sit, chat, sip and eat both inside and out. Highly recommended!

If I were getting married this place might be under consideration. Lovely setting in the foothills of Virginia with a set up for events. The cider was...okay (and I like cider) but the atmosphere is almost perfect!

Came across this beautiful property on a day trip last year and decided to check out a little closer and schedule a tour. Our guide, Evelyn was super sweet and seemed to have a tight grasp on weddings and wedding planning which was refreshing for someone who works for one of DC's top wedding planners. The barn house feel lends itself to so many options and we loved Evelyn's ideas about what could be done with the space. The cider is good too. I would totally get married here and we definitely added Castle Hill to our suggestion list for clients. OH, and there's an orchard!

Had an appointment for a tour for our upcoming wedding at this beautiful setting. But Castle Hill's wedding contact Ms Keys kept us waiting for 30 mins and had to be called as a reminder and upon arriving did even apologize. We tasted cider while waiting and the tasting room staff stated she is always late. Very nice. She proceeded to be unorganized and scatter brained the whole time. This women has no clue on weddings or how to treat clients or people in general. Completely unprofessional and a terrible representative for this amazing property. She even tried to promote herself as a wedding planner and even though she new we had already retained a well known planner for our event. She has no ethics or integrity. Get married somewhere else!!!

Customer service was completely lacking - employees did not seem to have even basic manners. I was expecting alot more from the cider - world's best? Not even average. Tasting fee was high ($8) to sample mediocre cider.

I had a pleasant visit, with a friendly server and enjoyed great cider. They were serving 5 ciders, 4 sparkling and 1 still. They also had bread (from the wonderful Albemarle Baking Company) and cheese for purchase. This was not my first visit nor will it be my last.

Came here with my wife a couple of days ago and had a great time.We had the whole place to ourselves - what a treat! We did a tasting - $6 - a bargain. Tried a few sips of all 5 types of cider made there, with a brief explanation of how and of what each is made.Also we had a cheese plate. 3 local cheeses with a loaf of local bread. DON'T miss this! A great addition to the ciders. Finished the trip out with a glass of our favorite cider, and conversation in front of the fireplace on the super-cushiony incredibly-comfy red leather couches.This was a great end to our special time in Cville.