The Euskal Sagardoa Designation of Origin was founded seven years ago with the objective of identifying and recognizing ciders with 100% quality guarantee made with native apples. It is currently composed of apples and cider trees from Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, but it has already begun the process of collecting those from Navarra and the continental Basque Country with the objective of creating the Denomination of Cross Border Origin “Euskal Sagardoa/Sidra of the Basque Country, Cidre du Basque Country/Euskal Sagarnoa”.

“It would be crazy to explain the tripes of the process,” said the coordinator of the Designation of Origin, Unai Agirre, that the things to be incorporated are progressing gradually, thanks to the different institutions and agents of the sector. Basque Government, Colegio Vasco, Gobierno de Navarra, Euskal Sagardoa, producers of Ipar Euskal Herria, Sagarrica association, Fundación Hazi... the process will require the intervention of many people, until it is approved by the European Union, but also later. It is possible that, in order to have this journal in hand, there are novelties around the initiative.

Unai Agirre has explained to us that the designations of origin related to food are, in any case, “tools” to value the raw material, in this case the apple, and help in selling cider. “We started with Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa,” he says, speaking of the brand Euskal Sagardoa, “but from the beginning we had the intention of extending it to the rest of the areas, because the cider culture is throughout the territory and cider apples have been kept throughout the territory.” Designations of origin protect products of great tradition and cider is no exception, as it has a “long history” behind it.

“We have an amazing treasure,” Agirre continued: “Nothing like our cider is done in the world. It is natural, of great character, with a lot of history, with a special consumption...”. And it leverages native apples, almost 250 varieties of apples, which don't exist anywhere else. The product that wants to obtain the Designation of Origin must be linked to a raw material of special characteristics, and so are the apples we have in Euskal Herria. They all have the same basis, a single genetic profile; there is nothing in the world that has that profile. “In Gipuzkoa there are apples, in Bizkaia or in Álava others, in Navarre, in Lapurdi... and there are in all countries,” explains Agirre: “The apples in this area are special.”

And why do we have so many varieties of apples? We refer to the history of the centuries, and we must also bear in mind that by our peculiar orography there are many small hamlets/chamomiles. If the designation of origin is obtained for the whole of the Basque Country, the producer could use apples from the other territories to produce cider.

A huge wealth

The designation of origin would include three types of cider: the Basque, foamy or strong, and the bittersweet, with more tradition in the French Basque Country.

“The name will explain the characteristics of the product,” says Agirre, “talking about its history and its apples.” The value of apples once again. Because it is “our greatest particularity” compared to the other designations of origin. There are many varieties of apples in the Basque Country. “What has cost us the most to explain to Europe is how many apples we have in the south and in the north, why we use them so much, and how with so much variety of apples we are able to pull out a similar product. You have to tell them thousands of years of history. Here we are not aware of the wealth we have.” One of the main challenges of Euskal Sagardoa is to transmit that wealth or culture to the new generations, and to pull it out, to take a step in the local market, especially because “consumption is here”.

We opened a parentheses here. Over 50% of apples sold in Britain are already native, as we read Jakoba Errekondo in the Sagarren istorioak article. For ten years, farmers, consumer associations, the media, administrations and businesses have worked hard for this, and the local apple has become a particularly close and spectacular apple. They've done a lot of research to develop proper types of apples, with the improvement of technologies, trials and varieties to improve the proper curd of apples that they like. But it's not all technology. More than eight million apples have been planted to increase and guarantee the best quality apple offer.

“And we, where are we with the apples of Euskal Herria?” asked Errekondo. “In Tokita! The Basques that for centuries were the largest sidreros are also hard to know our varieties of apples. His story has not yet been written in any report. On the other hand, I would also like to know at what level our pastry is. And are nondarras the most serious of these apples? What do supermarkets sell here? When will we know the story and the stories of the Errezil or Ibarbi apple? When will we see that most of the native varieties of apples grown in Britain are descendants of those from the Basque Country? When will we invest in ourselves and for us? For identity, land, history, health, agriculture, the environment and, above all, for the daughters of our daughters.” But let's close the parentheses.

Agirre has explained to us that, like many small businesses linked to the primary sector, quarries are also going through a difficult time and that their adaptation to current needs is essential. He says that the sector is doing a great deal of work, that in the quarries they give explanations about their activity, that they are “taking confidence” in the product... but that they have the capacity they have, for example, of the workers. “Young people have to be attracted; the sector is traditional and the consumer has nothing to say. It's not a hard product, it doesn't have much alcohol, it's made of empty apple, it's refreshing... We are in it, it is up to us to take steps in the market, taking into account the desires of one and the other, because here we all have to live, sidreros, sidreros, taberneros..”.

In total there are about 90 quarries in Euskal Herria. They are many small and some are closing down due to lack of relief and because the business has always unprofitable lines of work. “People see things, but there are jobs that are hard, hard,” says Agirre.

Respect the personality of each of them

Low-alcoholic beverages are increasingly accepted on the market, and cider consumption is increasing in many countries of the world. “That trend is very good for us,” Agirre said. “We are seeing that in the bars and restaurants that have chosen cider consumption has increased, people have welcomed it.” That is, if in the hospitality establishments instead of offering a single cider they have a cider letter, you can explain with what type of apple each cider is made or what are its characteristics (body, taste, smell...), broaden the knowledge about the product and influence consumption. “Yes, although in tastings and other projects explain a thousand things to you about the apple, what people usually remember is that you’ve served the cider in the cup,” he laughs.

Agirre has assured that there has been "a great change" in the island's chamomiles. “At one time, most of the apples here had many kinds of trees, all mixed, and the apple was picked up as it fell, with all kinds of apples, and they came to the lagar with I don’t know how many apples were mixed. Today the maturity point is calculated, apples are classified by rows – we already know what type of apple you need next to help in pollination – and this or the other type of apple is chosen to make cider”.

Each house gives its cider its own character, each has its own line and its maintenance is “very important”, according to the coordinator of Euskal Sagardoa. The designation of origin does not imply any change in this respect. “For me it is essential to respect it, each one has to give it its touch and, for example, on the bottle label determine with what type of apple it is made, if it is made in wood, if it is to consume with meat or entrants...”

Agirre invites readers to: “If anyone wants to organize cider tastings, be it local councils, associations, accommodations or groups of friends, we are totally open.” On the web Euskalsagardoa.eus you will find the contact routes.

---------------------

Machinery

In their day, sidrerías were very well stocked,” says Agirre, asked about the machinery used by apples and sidreros. “You always have to introduce more technology, but... It must be borne in mind, for example, that our orography is complicated and that mechanizing land is not easy. In any case, we are collecting and testing the existing machinery. Some pick up the apples from the ground and here, if it rains, even if you use a sailing vehicle... Others are harvested from the tree, but it is important that the trees are small and in our own are quite large. And there are those who collect them with the net, shake the tree and lock it in, but to do so the apple tree must be well prepared, with the trees planted in rows. We have set up a commission to analyse, among other things, the needs of machinery.” The designation of origin may lay down a number of conditions, but producers are free as to how to collect the apple.