Madrid, July 9, 2020. The competition for the best ciders and apple derivatives produced in Asturias has awarded Valverán 20 Apples, an ice cider produced by Masaveu Wineries at its Sariego cider house, as the Best Ice Cider. This marks the third time Valverán ice cider has been honored at this competition.Other winners in different categories include Españar, Mayador, Angelón Rosé, Roxtum, Gaitero, Oles, Valle, Ballina, and Fernández.The town of Nava hosts this weekend the Cider Festival, which has been declared a National Tourist Interest Festival and celebrates its 43rd edition this year. This event began in 1969 to honor a drink deeply rooted in the region and to highlight the production and quality of these products.In recent years, this innovative product has been awarded numerous accolades, including the Gold Medal in the Gilbert & Gaillard Guide 2018, first prize in the ice cider category at the International Cider Salon of Gala 2017, and a Gold Medal in 2019, among other prestigious national and international competitions.
Valverán 20 Apples Ice Cider
Valverán was founded in 1999, becoming the first and 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 must of at least 20 apples.
This drink is obtained through a complex process of 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 time the apples are harvested until the bottle reaches the final consumer, while preserving the cider’s original fruit and sensory qualities.
To achieve this exclusive and highly regarded product, it took the visionary spirit of José Masaveu, General Director of Bodegas Masaveu — this being his most personal project — along with nearly ten years of research and experimentation. Se trata del único de los cinco proyectos de Masaveu Bodegas, que tiene sus raíces en su tierra, Asturias.
Today, 35 hectares, located in the Protected Denomination of Origin Sidra de Asturias, specifically in the 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), allow the production of 13,500 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 lightly sweet desserts.
Masaveu Wineries
The Masaveu family began investing in the wine sector in 1974, when they acquired Bodegas Murua, but the family’s vineyard plantings date back to the mid-19th century, specifically in Castellar del Vallés, the family’s place of origin, where Federico Masaveu Rivell laid the foundations that his descendants would continue a century later.
Since then, Masaveu Bodegas has grown to become a benchmark for the quality of its wines across different Designations of Origin (DOs) and for its environmental philosophy and deep respect for the land. With its own vineyard estates, the winery manages to capture and convey, in every bottle, the unique personality of each terroir. De esta forma, se unen en un denominador común todos y cada uno de los proyectos que embarca Masaveu Bodegas en diferentes regiones: Fillaboa (DO Rias Baixas), Leda (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León), Murua (DOCa Rioja), Pagos de Araiz (DO Navarra) y Valverán (Asturias).
