Cider from the harvest 2018

A total of 11.78 million liters of cider have been produced in the Basque Country in the 2018 vintage.

Honoring the Sagardo Apurua concept, the new 2018 vintage is presented today in our Apurua farmhouse within the Sagardoa Route project. We have had the opinion of the representatives of Bizkaia, Araba, Nafarroa, Iparralde and Gipuzkoa.

After last year's exceptional harvest, this has been a leisurely harvest. The apple trees, as we expected, have produced less fruit, but the quality of it has been very high. This year the size of the apple has been a little smaller and the yield, less. We have obtained less must, but more concentrated and with more sugar. The picking work has taken less time than last year, as the late apple has arrived a little earlier. The quality of the apple is optimal and a cider with greater body, structure and tannins is expected.

As for the fermentations, due to the good temperatures in October, the cider has fermented faster and has a good aroma. That means that in the txotx season we will find ciders ready to be tasted, although each cider house has its characteristics.

In summary, this is the cider from the 2018 vintage:

As for the aroma, of great intensity

Great structure and body

· Cider with presence of fine carbonic

2019 TXOTX SEASON OPENINGS

The txotx season is a highly esteemed and long-awaited tradition in Basque society. People are waiting impatiently for the opening to be able to enjoy this experience.

The cider houses of the Basque Country receive a total of approximately 800,000 visitors every year, from January to May, and this has a positive impact on the economy of the area. On the other hand, more and more cider houses are open throughout the year. Here are the Txotx openings:

GIPUZKOA

· Opening of Txotx in Astigarraga on January 16 organized by Sagardun.

· Opening of Txotx in Hernani on January 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Plaza de los Tilos (if it rains in Atsegindegi).

· Opening of Txotx de Goierri on January 17 at the Oiharte Cider House, organized by Goitur and the Goierri Cider Houses.

· The opening of Tolosaldea will be on February 8 in the Tinglado, organized by the Casino Society with the collaboration of the Tolosa City Council, Tolosa Gourmet and the Cider houses of Tolosaldea.

BIZKAIA

· Opening of Txotx in Bizkaia at the Sidreria Uxarte (Zornotza) on January 23 at 11:00, organized by the Association of Cider Houses of Bizkaia.

ARABA

· Opening of Txotx en Araba in Trebiñu on January 18, organized by ASSE (Arabako Sagar eta Sagardogile Elkartea).

NAFARROA

· Opening of Txotx de Navarra will be at the Linddurenborda Cider House in mid-January, organized by the Navarra Cider House Association.

SAGARDOA ROUTE, THE FUTURE OF THE CIDER MILLS

Some years have passed since the cider sector, apart from innovating in favor of the product, has worked to promote the cider culture and its work in the tourism sector. The objective of the Basque Country Cider Associations is to promote the apple and apple orchard, the cider house, the experience of txotx and the farmhouse, in order to enhance our product, our customs, history and culture. Cider has been a food of great production in the Basque Country for centuries. The wineries were the factories to make cider, small companies created to make the liters of cider needed to supply the territory; both for local consumption and for the sailors and fishermen who made their long journeys towards Terra Nova.

Sagardoa Route, return to the origins

Sagardoa Route, is the project that works on the future of cider houses. It is this project that encompasses the wide range of products and experiences around the world of cider. Within the project we have 60 cider houses from the 7 Basque territories. Sagardoa Route is the project whose main axis is Basque cider and transports us to the origin of the history of our history. This project is carried out with the collaboration of the Cider houses, the agents and resources of the environment; and with the creation and organization of events and activities around the culture of cider.

Among the annual activities we have the SAGARDO APURUA. This event is one of the most appreciated and important, since it is the showcase of all our values: the tasting of more than 40 products (natural cider, crianza, sparkling, musts, liqueurs ...), collaboration with all the agents around and the modernized tradition. Sagardo Apurua is the reconstruction of an old winery and has an old and a modern part. We give both spaces a visa with: cider cocktails, bertsolaris, thematic pairing tastings, dance performances, pilgrimage, official and popular pintxo contest, pairings, raffles, tastings ...

www.sagardoa.eus: automatic reservation for 41 cider houses in one click