Masaveu Wineries has registered as organic the 40 hectares planted at Finca El Rebollar in Sariego (Asturias), where the ice cider Valverán 20 Apples is produced. The orchard is home to 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), from which Valverán currently produces up to 20,000 bottles per year of this distinguished ice cider.
This move toward organic farming at Finca Valverán aligns with the sustainable philosophy that defines the entire winery group, which focuses on promoting biodiversity, using natural water resources efficiently, developing plant cover, and treating wastewater responsibly.
In this regard, Valverán has made a clear commitment to sustainability in recent years by eliminating chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. This has enabled the winery to recover water from its own wells and use it for irrigation and human consumption.
It also has a water purification plant that filters and purifies water for later use in the cidery’s operations, as well as a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to process the wastewater generated during production. Valverán is also working on a project to discharge the properly treated water into the general sewage system of the Sariego municipality, allowing it to be further processed at the Siero treatment plant.
Natural control of insect populations
In its commitment to promoting biodiversity and encouraging the presence of birdlife in its apple orchards—while completely avoiding the use of insecticides—Valverán has installed 440 nesting boxes, 40 of them for nocturnal birds of prey, along with 800 feeders and 120 perches for raptors, to
A natural plant cover is maintained throughout the estate, managed exclusively through mechanical mowing, in order to ensure the healthy growth of the apple trees and the proper development of biodiversity.
All these actions are aimed at protecting the biodiversity of the orchards by developing an integrated form of agriculture that cares for and respects the environment.
About Valverán
Valverán was founded in 1999, becoming the first and most exclusive ice cider on 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 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.
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, Bodegas Masaveu has continued to grow, becoming a benchmark for the quality of its wines produced in different Designations of Origin (DOs), as well as for its environmental philosophy and deep respect for the land. The winery owns its own vineyard plantations, which allow it to capture and convey, in every bottle, the unique personality of each terroir.
In this way, a common thread unites all of Masaveu Bodegas’ projects across different regions: Fillaboa (DO Rías Baixas), Leda (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León), Murua (DOCa Rioja), Pagos de Araiz (DO Navarra), and Valverán (Asturias).
