SOLD OUT for 2023
Did you know that there were thousands of apple varieties available in nineteenth-century America? More than a dozen of these were cultivated at Monticello during Thomas Jefferson's lifetime.
Want to learn more? Join us for this special Apple and Cheese Tasting event.
You'll have the unique opportunity to taste and compare heirloom and conventional apples, paired with cheeses selected and presented by the Wegmans culinary team; sample Monticello’s private label hard cider made in partnership with Castle Hill Cider; and learn more about the history of apples from cidermaker and author, Diane Flynt.
Event Details
- Meet farmer, cidermaker and author Diane Flynt as she reveals the surprising stories about apples grown throughout the South for over three hundred years. For anyone who's ever picked an apple fresh from the tree or enjoyed a glass of cider, Flynt offers a new history of the apple and how it changed the South and the nation. Sharing highlights from her new book, Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived, participants will learn about the Indigenous groups and enslaved men and women who own a big piece of the southern apple story, and will hear about the Monticello orchards that offer rich lessons on the way southerners exchanged knowledge about apples suited for table use and cider during Jefferson's time.
- Taste and compare heirloom and conventional apples, including premium cheese pairings selected and presented by the Wegmans culinary team
- Sample Monticello’s private label hard cider, "Monticello Orchard Select," produced by Castle Hill Cider
- Enjoy an apple mocktail recipe demonstration and tasting, presented by cocktail historian Robert Yule, author of Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World. You'll also get to take home the recipe!
Plan to come early and purchase lunch at our Farm Table café, featuring special fall menu items using local apples prepared by Monticello’s Executive Chef David Bastide.
Following the event, participants are invited to the Shop at Monticello for a book signing with Diane Flynt.
All participants will receive an exclusive 20% discount to the Shop at Monticello and Farm Table café!
Please Note:
- This is a ticketed program recommended for adult participants. Please bring proper ID for wrist-banding to sample alcoholic beverages.
- This event takes place indoors at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center Milstein Theater, located at Monticello's David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center.