Apple CountyCider Co

Apple County Cider works from Whitehouse Farm at Newcastle, in the hills west of Monmouth near Skenfrith. The business dates to 2009, trading as Ty Gwyn Cider before taking its current name in 2014, and presses single-variety ciders from 100 percent apple juice, using bittersweet and vintage fruit such as Dabinett, Vilberie and Brown Snout rather than blends. The ciders are made on site and sold through a cellar-door shop open seven days a week, where staff talk visitors through the range with tasting notes and food pairings. Tutored tastings include a walk through the orchard and the production barn, and an orchard picnic option pairs the ciders with local food outdoors. It remains a single-site, independent producer, and the tannic, fruit-forward, bottle-fermented style has drawn national recognition.