Isastegi Sagardo Naturala Cider (750ml)

 

The Path of Cider

 

If the Basque Country has any distinguishing drink, it’s cider.  The apple orchards adapt well to the rugged terrain and the climate, and cider used to be made in many farmhouses.  It is possible to trace the start of the path of Basque cider on its journey to the rest of the world back to the Middle Ages, to the whaling boats that sailed to Newfoundland.  It was much cherished as the vitamins in the cider prevented the sailors from falling ill with scurvy.
 

A great number of barrels of cider from inland Gipuzkoa reached ports on the coast along with wood to be used in shipbuilding.  As such, cider has been linked to industrial activity for several centuries.  Cider production is an economic activity in itself and cider is sold in delicatessens all over the world.

 

Isastegi Sagardo Naturala Cider

 

Natural Cider

 

(ees-ahs-teh-gee) | Euskal Sagardoa – Basque Country

 

Isastegi is a refreshing, dry natural cider from the verdant mountains of the Basque Country, high above the Bay of Biscay along Spain’s rugged and green northern coast.  Innovation meets 500 years of tradition, making the authentic San Sebastián cider experience portable.

 

Cider has been produced at the Isastegi farm since the 17th century as cider is an integral part of the Basque culture, where it is an everyday drink.  Isastegi transcends the cider category, crafting a unique product born of the experience that comes from practices transmitted from generation to generation, paired with innovation.  Isastegi cider is produced exclusively with organically-grown, native Basque apples farmed within a 15-kilometer radius of their cider house in Tolosa, in the countryside outside of San Sebastián. 

 

Isastegi is also a founding member of the Gorenak Society and Euskal Sagardoa, a new PDO for Basque natural cider.  It was created in 2017 and allows the use of about 115 local apple varieties grown in the Basque Autonomous Community.  It certifies both the quality and origin of the apples and cider.  Isastegi has also recently gained organic certification by ENEEK (Basque Organic Regulatory Council) and does not add sulfites to their cider at any point during the process. 

 

Basque Sagardo is traditionally served cold, poured into a wide-mouth tumbler from an arm’s length a little bit at a time to give the cider its signature creamy, effervescent mousse. 

 

Vinification:  Each lot is fermented separately in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts.  After fermentation, each component is tasted for quality, and the lots are blended together in kupelas (old, large oak cider barrels) for several months.  Isastegi cider is bottled fresh from barrel without fining or filtration before each shipment.

 

Euskal Sagardoa

 

Site:  Tolosa, Gipuzkoa

 

Apples:  A blend of over a dozen native Basque apple varieties, farmed within a 15-kilometer radius of their cider house in Tolosa.

 

Vinification:  After fermentation in stainless steel the cider is blended in kupelas (old, large, oak cider barrels) it is bottled fresh and without filtration before each shipment.

 

Aging:  Blended in large, old oak kupela barrels.

 

Farming:  Certified Organic by ENEEK (Basque Organic Regulatory Council)

 

SO2:  No added sulfites, less than <5 mg/l total 

 

 

Isastegi

 

A line of Cider Producers

 

400 Years

 

Building community around cider

 

Cider has been produced at the Isastegi farm since the 17th century.  Our ancestors made cider to drink at home and invited neighbours to enjoy it with them.
 

There were many cider mills in the Tolosa area and cider production at Isastegi formed part of a culture whose basic drink was cider.  A very special, unique product was born of the know-how that comes from practices transmitted from generation to generation.

 

Isastegi Spark:  A profession and way of life

 

In 1984 Migel Mari Lasa, with the help of his father Joxe Mari, decided to take a step forward and started commercializing cider.  From the beginning he devoted himself to adding his little bit to centuries of know-how and implementing all the necessary procedures for bringing cider onto the market.
 

In the space of a few years, he achieved a cider that was well received both in the Basque Country and internationally.  Today, Isastegi is a cider with its own personality.

 

Local Apples

World-Class Cider

 

The third generation of Isastegi now sell their cider, made from locally farmed apples, all around the world.  Our production is based on apples supplied from within a 15-kilometre radius.

 

The ecosystem around Isastegi is made up of apple orchards of the highest quality.  Our apples run circles round other apples from the Tolosa area and end up going right round the world.

 

The Story

 

Isastegi is an old family estate located in the town of Tolosa

in the Basque Country of Spain…

 

Cider has been produced at the Isastegi farm since at least the 17th century.

 

The estate was originally covered by pastures for cattle, with only a few apple trees for the family to make a small amount of cider for themselves and neighbors.  In 1984 Migel Mari Lasa, with the help of his father Joxe Mari, decided to switch from livestock to cider and began selling their cider to the public.  Pastures were replaced by orchards planted with native Basque apple varieties and the house became dedicated to cider production.  The third generation at Isastegi is innovating and advancing the quality standard of the previous generations.  

 

The ecosystem around Isastegi is made up of high-quality apple orchards and all of the apples which go into Isastegi are from orchards within a 15-kilometer radius.  This is an important distinction, as less scrupulous producers making cheap cider for the bulk market often rely on frozen apple must concentrate purchased cheaply from other countries with no quality standards, fermented in their cider house, and served to unknowing tourists.  There is more demand for cider in Spain than there are apple orchards, so it has created a system where the importation of foreign apple must for cider is common.  This is one of many points that sets the production at Isastegi apart from the competition.

 

A quality designation was created in 2017 called PDO Euskal Sagardoa for natural cider.

 

It allows the use of 115 local apple varieties grown in the Basque Autonomous Community, certifying both quality and local origin.  Euskal Sagardoa designated ciders are always natural, produced from certified apples, and have to pass a tasting panel and lab analysis.  Isastegi carries the red neckband of Euskal Sagardoa (there is also a gold neckband for special, limited ciders), attesting to their hard work advancing the local cider discipline.

 

The family is also currently working on adding more planting of orchards in Tolosa in higher elevation plots.  All their farming is organic and they will soon have their certification in 2021.

 

As a matter of production, all apples are native to the Basque Country and only indigenous yeasts are used for spontaneous fermentation.  There are no additions or corrections allowed in Euskal Sagardoa.

 

They have a state-of-the-art pressing and bottling room as well as a large entertainment space for their kupelas (traditional, large oak cider barrels), where they host the txotx (spring tasting) season.  Every spring visitors and locals gather at Isastegi to celebrate txotx season by tasting the new vintage of cider while enjoying the traditional cider house meal of codfish omelette, fried cod with piquillo peppers, steak, walnuts, quince jelly, and Idiazabal cheese.  Txotx!

 

Leaders In Quality

 

We’ve been firmly committed to quality since Isastegi was founded.  We use the best locally farmed apples to produce our cider.

 

Leading Innovation

 

We have been instrumental in the implementation of quality certification processes in the province and have taken important steps to achieve ecological produce.  Our priority is assuring the quality of the unique Isategi spritz and flavour.

 

Abroad Too

 

Many international specialists have commented on the character of Isastegi cider and our flavour is reaching all corners of the globe.