Cider apple trees

My inlaws recently bought 17 acres near Columbia, SC. They told me it would be OK if I wanted to plant some apple trees on the land. Does anyone know what cultivars I should be looking at that will grow well in South Carolina?

My goal is to plant some trees and have enough apples to start experimenting with small ~5 gallon batches.

Baldwin & Kingston Black come to mind. Here's a link to a list of cider apple cultivars: http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/fruit/apple-cider.htm Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

Thanks for the link!

Here's a link to a commercial craft cidery: http://www.westcountycider.com/ciders.html They list their ciders, but they also list the apple varieties for most of their ciders. Thought it might be useful to know what the pros are growing/using. Regards, GF.

Check out from the library Ben Watson's Cider: Hard and Sweet and Proulx and Lew's Cider: Making, Using, and Enoying Sweet and Hard Cider. Both talk about cider trees.

One that is very popular is Dabinett. I got myself a graft this spring.

Candle - thanks (between this and my other thread).

Is the Dabinett your first graft, or do you have more cider apple trees? If so, how many?

Dabinett kept popping up in my research. I'm on a few email lists, and they recommeneded it, along with a local cidery. I got to talking to a cidery out of Quebec, and we figured that Ashmead's Kernel would complement the Dabinett in the tannins/acid department. AK is also sort of an eater, which makes my husband happy.

My local Home Orchard Society does custom grafts every winter, so I requested both of them on M9 rootstock, I think, and they did the grafts for $12 each. They are currently in 2 gallon pots, as I just bought this house and haven't worked the ground into what I want it for them. I'm guessing it will be another 3 years before they bear.

Here's a list from a website on an orchard up my way:
http://www.vintagevirginiaapples.com/cidervarieties.htm

VA and SC aren't quite the same hardness zone but I doubt you'd have too much trouble. Albermarle also sells the trees but I'm guessing you can find something more local.

I've been in columbia for 4 years now and have never been able to find fresh, preservative free cider. back home in new england, from mid sept. through new years the grocery stores are packed with it. I know for a fact that there are plenty of close by orchards in sc, nc, and va, but they must be selling their cider elsewhere, or not producing it.
I went to visit family in atlanta and was reading a travel magazine put out by the chamber of commerce. it said they are famous for peach cider hard and sweet. i drove around for an entire afternoon and couldn't find any (preservatives or not) - and in the peak season for peaches too.