Asheville, NC — August 25, 2026 — Asheville-based cider company, Noble Cider announces multiple wins at the 2026 NC Wine Cup, taking home several awards, including a win of the NC Wine Cup for the third year in a row. The results of the NC Wine Cup were announced by NC Wine on August 17, 2026.
The NC Wine Competition celebrates and honors excellence in wine, cider, and mead produced throughout North Carolina. Eligible entries require that at least 75% of the fruit and honey be grown within the state of North Carolina, showcasing the quality of the state’s local agriculture and beverage industry.
Noble Cider shared first place in the NC Wine Cup for Best Cider for Porter’s Perfection, a single-varietal cider from their Lewis Creek line. The victory makes Noble Cider the first producer to win the NC Wine Cup three years in a row.
Porter’s Perfection also earned Best High Tannin Cider, while Harrison, another single-varietal cider from the Lewis Creek line, received Best Modern Apple Cider – Dry. Their Apricot & Black Tea cider earned Best Fruited Cider – Dry.
The Lewis Creek Orchard Reserve line, released in February 2026, is a milestone nearly a decade in the making for Noble Cider. The line is the first of its kind for Noble, featuring a collection of single-varietal ciders made from heirloom apples grown at Noble’s specialty orchard at Lewis Creek Farm in Hendersonville, NC. Planted nine years ago, these trees are now producing enough fruit for Noble to showcase individual English, American, and German apple varieties in bottle.
The Lewis Creek Orchard Reserve line represents a celebration of quality, place, and vintage. Much like grape wine, the character of each cider evolves from year to year, shaped by the unique growing conditions of each season. With this line, Noble seeks to capture not only the distinct character of each apple variety, but also the character of the year and place where it was grown.
Noble Cider earned additional recognition throughout the competition. Porter’s Perfection, as well as another cider in the Lewis Creek line, Bella, took home Double Gold medals. Harrison and Dabinett, both from the Lewis Creek line, earned Gold, alongside Noble’s flagship Spice Merchant, and limited release, Lavender Lemonade. Silver medals were awarded to flagships Standard Bearer and Village Tart, as well as seasonal releases Royal Peach and Elder Sage, and limited releases Bananas Foster and Apricot & Black Tea.
“Getting recognized for a wide variety of our ciders is definitely special, says Lief Stevens, co-founder and cider-maker at Noble Cider. “We’re especially happy to see our Lewis Creek Orchard Reserve line receive so many honors, since these ciders are all from trees planted nine years ago.”
Founded in Asheville in 2012, Noble Cider has maintained a commitment to using locally grown apples, and building upon Western North Carolina’s long history as an apple growing region. The company’s results at this year’s NC Wine Cup reflect the quality that comes from that commitment, across both traditional heirloom and modern apple ciders, while the success of their Lewis Creek Orchard Reserve line represents the culmination of Noble’s long-term investment in cultivating specialty cider varieties in its home region of Western North Carolina.
About Noble Cider
Founded in Asheville, North Carolina in 2012, Noble Cider produces traditional and modern American ciders and mead, with a focus on locally grown fruit in partnership with Lewis Creek Farm. Noble products can be found on tap and in retail stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as through their online store at www.noblecider.com. From Orchard to Glass, Noble is True to the Core.
