XXXVII. TOPA! Cider day of Donostia

The big day of cider has arrived in Donostia

Once again, the Sagardo Eguna has filled San Sebastian's Plaza de la Constitución with cider, culture and celebration. More than 4,000 people attended the event and were able to taste the best Guipuzcoan ciders. 

This year it was possible to taste cider in a glass again, an opportunity for those who came to also try the different ways of consuming cider.

In a festive atmosphere, those attending the Sagardo Eguna have enjoyed the numerous proposals around the culture of cider, offered by the Association of Cider Houses of Gipuzkoa and the Euskal Sagardoa Designation of Origin, organizers of the event together with the Donostia City Council, Donostia Festak, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Basque Government.

36 cider houses that belong to the Association of Cider Houses of Gipuzkoa have offered the public their best ciders from the 2023 harvest. With the music of trikitilaris and bertsolaris, approximately 8,000 bottles were served, accompanied by a variety of chorizo pintxos, cod omelette and cheese. 

In addition to the tastings, the Association of Cider Houses has presented different proposals to publicize the activity of cider producers and their ancient culture, full of secrets unknown to the general public. Like, for example, the artisanal apple pressing process, which could be experienced live, including the tasting of the first must from the 2024 harvest.

Some special guests attended the event, such as Amaia Barredo, Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment; Eneko Goia, mayor of Donostia; Jakes Agirrezabal, Vice Minister of Tourism and Commerce; Raúl Pérez de Iratxeta, Vice-Minister of Quality and Food Industries; Xabier Arruti, Deputy for Green Territorial Balance of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; Azahara Domínguez, Deputy of Mobility and Tourism of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; Arantza Ariztimuño, Director of Agriculture and Territorial Balance; Iñigo García, Director of Tourism of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, mayors and representatives of the town councils of Usurbil, Urnieta, Ataun and Asteasu; Members of the Gipuzkoa Hospitality Association and the Getariako Txakoliña Denomination of Origin; representatives of the Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin and other agents and representatives of agriculture, the agri-food industry and the Hospitality Industry. 

Another of the activities of this Sagardo Eguna, which has generated interest among children and adults, was the exhibition on the different varieties of cider apples of the Fruitel Association, as well as the workshops on types of grafts and their techniques.

Pintxos and Idiazabal cheese in the center of the square

Thanks to the Petritegi Cider House we have enjoyed chorizo pintxos and cod omelette. In front, and next to the information point, we have had the Arizmendi family from Ordizia, who has been working for many years in the sale of Idiazabal cheeses. 

The emotional chapter of the day was the tribute to the producers Arantza Eguzkiza (Iparragirre Sagardotegia, Hernani), Iñaki Bengoetxea (Ola Sagardotegia, Irun), Mari Jose Arregi (Olagi Sagardotegia, Altzaga) and Joxe Angel Goñi (Gurutzeta Sagardotegia, Astigarraga). These have received the Association's commemorative pin from the President and the Board of Directors. At 12:30 and raising glasses, the official toast took place with the cider producers, institutional representatives, guests and honorees. The owners of these cider houses have dedicated their lives to cider. 

Cider Route of the Basque Country: Information point and excursions in the world of cider

In this edition, the stand with general information on cider and cider houses has served Sagardoa Route to present the products of its more than 54 associated cider houses, which produce more than 90 ciders of different varieties: natural, organic, sparkling, aged, special, wood-ripened, with hops, Designation of Origin, organic juice and natural juice, among others.

On the other hand, September and the Sagardo Eguna provide the ideal opportunity, both for those at home and for visitors, not only to try the cider at its peak, but to discover the characteristics of the product: a low-alcohol, refreshing and which fortunately maintains many of the characteristics and benefits of the apple. Drinked in moderation, cider, in addition to being healthy, is delicious as a companion to countless dishes.

At this information point, visitors have also been able to learn more about the cider experiences. There are more and more cider cellars that offer this type of experiences and products related to the culture of cider. Taking into account that they are receiving more and more foreign visitors, cider houses are preparing to work hard in this sector.

In a context of new markets, Sagardoa Route was born, a project to renew the cider sector, which works to strengthen its structure, facilitate its adaptation to new scenarios, and adapt tradition to our times and the different types of cider consumers, which is more varied every day.

As a result of defining the gastronomic and cultural experiences that cider houses have, Sagardoa Route has presented a wide range of tourist products this summer. The journey to our origins, the authenticity and veracity of the experience, and the closeness to the client are the strong points of this project. Being able to learn about the oldest and most traditional crafts of our land, always directed and appropriate to our times, meet the people who carry them out, taste their products and enjoy the exceptional panoramic views that the Basque Country offers us are the clear bet of Sagardoa Route. 

There are already 61 cider houses, spread across different parts of the Basque territories, which are part of the BASQUE COUNTRY CIDER ROUTE project. The cider produced in them over the centuries attests to the origins and history of Euskal Herria.

This 2024 school year starts with greater force thanks to the SAGARRAREN TXOKOA project, created to work and entertain the little ones with experiences in nature and apple orchard tasks. We are working on this project with several schools  and it is open to anyone who is interested in it.

Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin – the big bet

The Denomination of Origin Euskal Sagardoa - Basque Cider- has had its seventh harvest in 2023 and it will be this harvest that can be tasted during Donostia Cider Day. Ciders made with local apples will have a special role in the Plaza de la Constitución: each cider house will have ciders made with apples from their own apple trees and apple trees from neighboring farms, and among them there will be ciders made with one type of apple and two types of apples, apples from specific plots, aged in wood, aged on the lees of the previous harvest... In addition to producing high-quality ciders, cider houses have also taken a big step to diversify their product, betting on local apple, and Donostia is the perfect place to explain all this work.

And following in the wake of recent years, the Regulatory Council is working to have a greater presence of the products both on the shelves and in the hospitality industry, together with the cider makers, and explain the work carried out to consumers and allow them to taste all the products. products manufactured by the sector. 

The 2023 harvest is abundant 

The 2023 harvest was very abundant in the Basque Country, and under the Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin, 3.5 million liters were made in the 48 cider houses of Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia and Álava, using apples from 250 producers. These are the ciders that could be tasted today since September is a great time to consume these aromatic and balanced ciders. Today, however, we have a wide range of products as cider houses are working on their diversification. Taking into account the type of apple, the point of ripeness of the harvest... ciders with great personality are being made. In Donostia-San Sebastián the consumer has had different types of cider at their disposal and different possibilities to enjoy it. We will soon begin to collect the apples of this 2024 harvest and we have some data that we can anticipate: the harvest will be smaller in quantity but the quality is estimated to be optimal. Throughout this month, both cider houses and apple producers will begin to collect the new harvest.