"I love the Albemarle Pippin," Hatch said. "Its got a great taste. Its spicy. Its firm. Its crisp. It just sort of lingers on the tongue like a good memory."

At Integral Yoga Natural Foods in Charlottesville, Albemarle Pippins are the stores best-selling item, said department manager Waheguru Singh.

"We sell tons," Singh said. "We probably sell 1,000 pounds a week."

Located in Preston Plaza, Integral Yoga is one of the few Charlottesville retailers still offering Albemarle Pippins during the off-season. Singh said the store has 20 cases left, at a price of 99 cents per pound.

Virginias $235 million apple industry has struggled in recent years to compete with emerging fruit exporters such as China and South Africa. With more than 100 commercial apple orchards, Virginia is the nations sixth largest apple-producing state.

Some small pick-your-own Central Virginia apple growers are increasingly relying on niche heirloom apples like the Albemarle Pippin to draw in local and regional visitors to their orchards.

"For people who are doing direct marketing of their fruits and vegetables, theres a lot of evidence of diversification," said Dave Robishaw, an apple expert and marketing specialist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture. "Ive heard of people wanting to broaden the mix of what they offer."

Cynthia Chiles, whose family owns the Crown and Carter Mountain orchards in Albemarle County, said she has not seen a major spike in Pippin interest, but that it enjoys a loyal following.

"Its a good little apple," she said. "It has its niche."

For Henleys part, he is hoping his new plantings of Pippin trees - expected to bear fruit in October - will help his orchard business grow.

Last fall, Henley handed out samples of his first batch of Pippins to the orchards visitors. This fall, he thinks hell have a sufficient quantity to sell the apples locally.

"Theres just something about a Pippin," he said.

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