Ambrosia orchard tour participants view the McDougall family’s newest investment, Legacy Orchards in East Wenatchee, WA. Rochelle van den Broek and Steve Lutz of CMI, Summer Whitford of The Daily Meal, Laura Hoover of CMI, Charles Grayauskie of Every Day with Rachel Ray, Emily Lee of FoodNetwork.com, Rachel Green of CMI, Jacob Muselmann of Saveur, Liz Weiss of Meal Makeover Moms, Katharine Grove of CMI, Shauna James Ahern of Gluten Free Girl, Rowann Gilman of The Nibble, and Tyler McDougall and Scott McDougall of McDougall & Sons.

CMI recently hosted seven national food writers for an in-depth press tour of Wenatchee, WA. The purpose of the three-day tour, held Sept. 24-27, was to educate top-tier writers on how Ambrosia apples, the latest apple variety to join the top 10 list of highest selling apples in the United States, are grown and distributed.

The participating food writers and editors were from digital and print publications, including Saveur, Every Day with Rachael Ray, FoodNetwork.com, The Nibble, The Daily Meal, Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, and Meal Makeover Moms. In total, the outlets influence more than 35 million consumers through their print and online presence.

"It was amazing to get up close and personal with Ambrosia apples and really understand all that it takes to grow premium fruit," Summer Whitford, an editor at the Daily Meal, said in a press release. "When you see the care, attention and investment that goes into cultivating these orchards, you really appreciate the hard work and vision of growers like the McDougall family.”

The tour brought the writers into several Ambrosia orchards to show them the careful and complex work required to produce a high-quality apple variety, like Ambrosia. After visiting a seedling nursery, writers were able to participate in a live grafting exercise to observe the process of cultivating the Ambrosia variety from a root stock.

Emily Lee, a digital content contributor to FoodNetwork.com, was surprised by the modern horticultural practices used at McDougall & Sons packing facility. “The whole process, from planting trees to picking and packing is far more sophisticated than I expected. From the gleaming facility, impressive tools and technology used for packing, and ultimately the quality of the fruit, there is no doubt that Ambrosia has earned their new Top 10 status,” she said.

Food writers were able to hand-pick Ambrosia apples fresh from the trees and enjoyed two days of orchard-themed menus featuring locally harvested fruits and vegetables. From Ambrosia apple-glazed wild Alaska salmon, to curried apple and squash soup, lavender honey bruschetta with Ambrosia apple chutney, buckboard apple bacon fire-grilled pizzas and Whistle Punk Ambrosia sorbet, Ambrosia apples provided culinary inspiration for all attendees.

Shauna Ahern James, known to her fans as the “Gluten Free Girl,” said she has never eaten this well on any press trip before. “I am inspired by the culinary treasures hidden in this bountiful region of the world, and look forward to coming back and exploring more.”

The McDougall family was excited for the opportunity presented by the food writers touring their orchards and facilities. “Food writers have a powerful story to tell — and these writers are masterful storytellers who can bring Ambrosia's story to life for mainstream America,” said Bryon McDougall, co-owner of McDougall & Sons.

Ambrosia apples are available year-round to all retailers. During the 2014-15 apple season, Nielsen data revealed that in total sales dollars, Ambrosia passed Braeburn to become the 10th best selling apple variety nationally. Ambrosia also had the highest growth rate among all top 10 varieties.

Ambrosia is poised for additional growth during the 2015-16 season. Nielsen data shows that during the last apple season, Ambrosia distribution increased by 30 percent up to 48 percent nationally. Retail sales will continue to build as retailers expand Ambrosia distribution in the coming year.