The Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin presents the new 2023 Harvest cider in Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria

85 different ciders from the 2023 harvest from 48 cider producers have been presented, made 100% with native apples and of certified quality.

“They are balanced ciders, pleasant in the mouth and aromatic”

Today, the Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin presented the cider from the 2023 harvest at Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria in Pasaia. A total of 85 products made by 48 cider producers from the Basque Country have been presented. The following participated in the event:

• Bittor Oroz, Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Policy.
• Peli Manterola, Director of the HAZI Foundation.
• Daniel Solana, Director of Basquetour
• Azahara Domínguez, Deputy for Mobility, Tourism and Spatial Planning of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.
• Oihana Gaincerain, President of Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin
• Unai Agirre, Coordinator of Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin
• Amaia Zubeldia,Coordinator of Sagardoa Route - The tour of Basque Cider
• Xabier Agote, President of Albaola
• And the producers and processors of Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia and Araba

A total of 85 products have been presented from the 48 producers from Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia and Araba that make up the EuskalSagardoa Denomination of Origin, made with apples from 250 producers, all of them different and with their own identity. The 2023 harvest has been very extensive, and in total about 4 million liters have been produced for the Designation of Origin with 6 million kg of apples harvested. In general, they are balanced ciders, pleasant in the mouth and very aromatic.

Each cider house and each cider have their own characteristics. In this line, new changes are being developed, with very special and innovative products within the cider sector: ciders from a single apple orchard, made with a single variety, aged, with a touch of wood... Such a large and good harvest quality has facilitated the work for the production of different products.  

The promoters of the designation of origin have stressed that this is the result of many years of work and above all a clear commitment to the future of cider. A future that is being projected in close collaboration by both public administrations and the apple and cider sectors. 

Presentation in Albaola

Today the new 2023 vintage was presented in bottle at AlbaolaItsasKulturFaktoria in Pasaia. Ciders that until now have been able to be tasted in txotx, and that cider houses have begun to market in bottles. They are balanced ciders, pleasant in the mouth and very aromatic. 

As is well known, cider and the sea have gone hand in hand in history in EuskalHerria, since cider has been a drink of sailors and sea workers for centuries. This gave rise to a powerful cider industry for centuries, as well as the interest in filling the landscape with apple orchards. For their part, sailors have had cider as one of the main bases of their way of life and for decades, it was the natural antidote against the evil of scurvy, the worst of the sailors' diseases. For this reason, in the Today's presentation aims to illustrate this essential symbiosis.

The Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin was created in 2016, and since then it has made a great journey in development and improvement, both in the apple orchards and in the quality of the product and its subsequent commercialization.

The cider sector is adapting and working on the Denomination of Origin from the apple orchard, which is the basis of the quality of the product. In this long journey, it has focused first on achieving a balance between harvests and apple quality: thinning systems, interpollination and land work are the three main axes.  

Marketing channels: retail, hospitality, online and direct sales

EuskalSagardoa has worked in recent years to strengthen marketing channels, both on shelves and in hospitality and direct and online sales. Collaboration with these sectors is important to value and promote the sale of ciders with Designation of Origin. It is about continuing the path of previous years and continuing to increase sales. To do this, it is developing strategies for each of the marketing channels in Bizkaia, Araba and Gipuzkoa.

Tasting with Eusko Label products

After the presentation, attendees were able to taste different ciders with designation of origin from the 2023 harvest along with EuskoLabel products. It has been possible to assess the characteristics of the harvest and the different products from the different cider houses, in an unbeatable environment.

Cider season 2024

The 2024 cider house season has been positively evaluated by cider makers: the pleasant and relaxed atmosphere has stood out this year in our cider houses. This year's season also maintains the trend that began with the pandemic. Most of the requests that have been collected have been for Saturday noon, and also for Saturday night. The cider houses that usually open on Sundays at noon have also been very busy. And they also have a special importance, the cider lovers who meet throughout the week with the desire to taste the different ciders. Reservations in terms of menu and txotx, in the cider houses, have increased this campaign. And in terms of the management of these reservations, more and more customers are taking advantage of the possibility of making an online reservation.

For several years now, the cider sector has launched tastings and/or guided tours. Both products are very attractive to cider house customers. The cider sector elaborates and communicates its gastronomic and cultural offer so that customers who come throughout the season have a unique experience. The sector has already developed the Strategic Plan corresponding to the Cider House and the Cider Winery Tourism Plan. These are the axes on which it focuses year after year to complete the offer and make a series of proposals to an increasingly diverse client. All of them organized within a quality product. Looking ahead to the season, the 40% increase in consumption of tastings, visits and other experiences compared to last year stands out.

This season in the cider houses we have been able to see different supports for buying online. These information points have served to, among other things, also increase online sales of cider by 33%.

Proposal for Summer Cider Houses: terraces, seasonal products and the importance of hospitality

The Basque Cider Route is the cider sector's tool to develop its digital, cultural and tourism strategy. The Route organizes guided tastings of EuskalSagardoa, visits to cider houses, activities... and has a full agenda for the summer.

This year we would like to highlight the project we have just completed with AlbaolaKulturFaktoria. Albaola and Bodega de cider are two elements naturally united. Through this product, a path of enjoyment is opened for local schoolchildren, visitors and even foreigners: https://www.sagardoa.eus/excursiones/98-albaola-y-bodega-de-sidra This proposal can be accepted with or without transportation.

In the summer season, 50% of the cider houses keep their doors open with a very wide offer. Seasonal products and bottled cider become important. The elegant and friendly terraces also help you enjoy the summer season and the EuskalSagardoa in a different way. The complete offer of cider houses open during the summer can be consulted at the following link: https://www.sagardoa.eus/blog/sidrerias-abiertas-en-verano-b121.html

Additional information

Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin

The EuskalSagardoa Denomination of Origin is a project of the present and future, promoted by the apple and cider sector of Euskadi and its corresponding administrations. Its main objective is to offer the apple and cider sector a solid foundation; and to the consumer a local product of certified quality. In this way, the EuskalSagardoa Denomination of Origin has been based on two fundamental pillars: origin and quality. 

• Local apple: The Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin has 106 approved varieties, of which 24 are the most used. These varieties are the main treasure of the cider sector, transmitted and transferred from century to century with the aim of preserving the natural and cultural heritage. 
• Quality: Euskal Sagardoa offers us all the guarantee of quality, starting in the apple orchard and ending in the bottle. The EuskalSagardoa Denomination of Origin must pass the corresponding physical-chemical and organoleptic analyzes controlled by the HaziFundazioa Foundation. 

Euskal Sagardoa Catalog

Cider houses that make up the catalog: 

• Araba:Kuartango.
• Bizkaia:Axpe / Etxebarria / Laneko / Uxarte.
• Gipuzkoa:Aburuza / Ageri / Akarregi / Alorrenea / Altzueta / Altuna / Añota/ Araeta / Astarbe / Barkaiztegi / Begiristain / Bereziartua / Egi-Luze/ Eguzkitza / Ekain / Etxebarria / Eula / Gartziategi / Gaztañaga / Gurutzeta / Iparragirre / Ipintza / Irigoien / Iruheki / Isastegi / Itxasburu / Izeta / Larrarte / Lizeaga / Mizpiradi / Oianume / Oiharte / Ola / Olagi / Petritegi / Saizar / Sarasola / Satxota / Tximista / Txindurri-Iturri / Urbitarte / Urdaira / Zabala / Zapiain / Zelaia

The cider sector is a living sector, the complete change of processes and new products. Every detail of these products is reflected in this catalogue, which encompasses the characteristics of each cider house, its history and its ciders. This catalog can be found at euskalsagardoa.eus/katalogoa.

On the other hand, EuskalSagardoa is collaborating with producers and processors from Iparraldey and northern Nafarroa to extend the Designation of Origin to all of Euskal Herria.

History of cider and its evolution

Cider has been the drink of the Basque Country for many years. Ancient writings and references tell us that this ancient drink has been the food of the Basques for centuries. 

In the 15th-16th centuries, cider consumption had a great boom, since the Basque Country was a large industrial area and the number of people who lived there consumed cider. The winery farms, large cider production industries, have their origin in this consumption. According to some documents, there were more than 1,000 in Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Iparralde and Nafarroa. Today, we have an example that is still running in Ezkio, the Igartubeiti winery farm. 

Among others, cider has been the drink of our sailors on their long voyages to Newfoundland. Due to its habitual consumption and its properties, sailors were not affected as much by scurvy. 

Cider enjoyed a high rate of consumption after the war, in the 50s and 60s, as the farmhouses emptied. There were some who maintained the tradition and thanks to this the concept of cider house that is maintained today resurfaced again. 

The Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin has an objective that is being met year after year: that the local apple is once again the axis of local cider and the quality of the product.

Euskal Sagardoaren Ibilbidea – Cider Route of the Basque Country is the strategic and tourist Agency for the cider sector. It is working in collaboration with the EuskalSagardoa Denomination of Origin to work on the History of cider, its evolution and different activities to enjoy the world of cider. Always taking into account the activities in each station and valuing the work of the first sector. It has three types of activities: vacation activities, business activities and the biggest novelty this year has been the creation of SagarrarenTxokoa, teaching units for schools.