The Competition for the Best New Expression Ciders and Apple Derivatives at the 2023 Nava Cider Festival has declared Valverán 20 Apples 2021 the Best Ice Cider. For the fifth consecutive year, this ice cider Valverán, produced by Masaveu Wineries at its cider mill in Sariego, has been awarded the top prize in the Ice Cider category at this competition, which is conducted through blind tastings and featured 42 different ciders.
The town of Nava, located in Asturias within the Cider Region, hosted last weekend the Cider Festival, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, which this year celebrated its forty-sixth edition. This celebration began in 1969 to honor a beverage deeply rooted in the region and to highlight the craftsmanship and quality of these products.
Valverán 20 Apples has been awarded in various prestigious national and international competitions such as the Global Cider Masters, World Cider Awards, Gilbert & Gaillard, International Cider Gala, CINVE, and the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition.
Valverán 20 Apples Ice Cider
Valverán was founded in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2007 that this ice cider was created, making it a pioneer in the production of ice ciders and the most exclusive ice cider in the Iberian Peninsula. The name Valverán 20 Apples comes from the number of apples required to produce each 37.5 cl bottle, as it contains the concentrated juice of at least 20 apples.
This beverage is produced through a complex process that involves freezing at -20°C, followed by fermentation for 10 months and aging on fine lees for 12 months. The entire process usually takes around two years from the moment the apples are harvested until the bottle reaches the consumer, while preserving its initial fruity and sensory qualities.
To create this exclusive and highly prized product, the visionary character of José Masaveu, CEO of Masaveu Wineries, was essential. This represents his most personal project within the family’s ventures, backed by nearly ten years of research and experimentation. It is the only one of Masaveu Wineries five projects rooted in its native land, Asturias.
Today, 40 hectares registered as organic, located in the Protected Designation of Origin Sidra de Asturias, specifically in Finca El Rebollar in Sariego (Asturias), with 20,000 apple trees of 11 different varieties (Blanquina, Xuanina, Regona, Raxao, Fuentes, Collaos, De la Riega, Verdialona, Perico, Durona de Tresali, and San Roqueña), make it possible to produce a limited edition of 20,000 bottles of this distinguished ice cider full of nuances. It can be defined as a fresh and surprising drink that pairs perfectly with foie, cheeses, and mildly sweet desserts.
It can be purchased through the Masaveu Wineries online store or by clicking here.
Masaveu Wineries
The Masaveu family began investing in the wine sector in 1974, when they acquired Bodega Murua in Rioja Alavesa. However, the family’s vineyard plantations date back to the mid-19th century, specifically in Castellar del Vallès, the family’s place of origin, where Federico Masaveu Rivell first took the steps that his descendants would continue a century later.
Since then, Masaveu Wineries has grown to become a benchmark in the industry, recognized for the quality of its wines across various DOs and for its environmental philosophy and utmost respect for the land, on which it owns its own vineyard plantations. Thanks to these vineyards, each bottle conveys the unique personality of its terroir. In this way, all the projects undertaken by Masaveu Wineries across different regions share a common denominator: Fillaboa (DO Rías Baixas), Leda (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León), Murua (DOCa Rioja), Pagos de Araiz (DO Navarra), and Valverán (Asturias).
