La Sidrería de El Gaitero

It didn’t take much time for us to develop an appreciation for cider, the favorite drink of Asturias. In the few weeks, we put down a fair share of bottles and improved at escanciando: the tricky art of pouring cider. So, it was soon time to visit a sidrería and see how the drink is produced.

Sidrería de El Gaitero

The most famous brand of Asturian cider is El Gaitero, whose distillery is found in Villaviciosa, the capital of the Cider Region. The company has over a hundred years of history and our free tour through the process was fascinating.

As we moved from room to room, we learned about the history of cider-making, from the complex machinery of the past to today’s computerized filtration systems. The production method, which we saw from beginning to end, is straightforward: washing and chopping small, ugly apples too sweet for eating, then pressing the juice out of them, which is then fermented and filtered until the final product is ready. The discarded apple flesh is sold to farmers for cattle feed.

The mammoth barrels used to store the cider during fermentation were the tour’s highlight, over 100 years in age and of at least eight meters in height. The largest bear the names of Spanish provinces and countries of the world, paying homage to the places which most love cider. I was pleased to see the Estados Unidos among them. Represent!

At the end, we sampled a glass of the Sidra Extra, El Gaitero’s delicious sparkling cider. And then we sampled a few more glasses, while chatting with the tour guide. She recommended October as the best time to visit the distillery, when the production process is in full swing.

El Gaitero’s Website

Sidrería Asturias Sidrería de El Gaitero
Sidra Prensa Asturias
Sidra Asturias Bottle Maschine
Sidra Factory Asturias
Sidra machine El Gaitero Asturias
Modern Apple Press for Cider
Cider Tourist in Asturias
Gaitero Cider Cellar
Old Cider Wood Barrel Tall
Small Cider Wood Barrel
Cider Bottle Cellar Stock Photo
El Gaitero Figures Asturias with bag pipe
Provinces of Spain Cider Barrels
USA Cider Barrel
Asturias Woman Drinking Sparkling Cider
Man Asturias Painting playing bag pipe

Sidrería de El Gaitero Bonus Photos added 2021

Cider Security Barrel
Gaitero Azulejos Tiles Asturias
Apple Belt
Apple Screw
Cider Barrel Art
Apple Cider Bottle Holder

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