Don Whitaker

Don Whitaker has been nurturing his passion for cider since relocating to Virginia from Georgia in 2016. Serendipitously, a position on the production team at Castle Hill Cider became available and he seized the opportunity to learn the fine art of cidermaking and orcharding. Today, he is the lead cidermaker and visionary of Castle Hill’s cider library. From dry to semi-sweet, and from fruit and botanical ciders to dessert style/apple brandy fortified ciders, he utilizes the 40+ varieties of cider apples in the Castle Hill Orchard and from sources around the state to create nuanced offerings. When he’s not making cider or in the orchard, he is tending to his love of music. He and his wife Pam are active in the local music community as members of the Rapidan Orchestra, as well as other bands about town.