Cider D.O. Zapiain

The Zapiain family name has been closely linked to the production of cider since at least the 16th century, during the golden age of Basque cider-making, when cider production was closely connected to whaling and cod fishing in Newfoundland. The earliest documented evidence of the Zapiain family’s involvement in cider production dates back to June 3, 1542. This manuscript records the sale and purchase of a plot of land in Astigarraga containing 87 feet of apple trees, transferred in favour of Joanes de Zapiain. The cider house where we continue to produce our sagardoa today was built in the 1960s, thanks to an investment made by Nicolás Roxario Zapiain Agirregabiria, who was a father to some and a grandfather to others. He was the one who decided to set aside the other activities of the farmhouse —livestock farming and agriculture— and dedicate himself entirely to cider production. From that moment on, Zapiain Sagardotegia embarked on a journey defined by a firm commitment to quality. In 1981, Miguel Zapiain Goñi joined the team as the first oenologist in the cider sector in the Basque Country. Since then, research aimed at improving the product has remained a constant principle, alongside innovation to diversify our range. Without a doubt, the apple is at the heart of our sagardoa. Zapiain sources its apples both from its own orchards and from local suppliers, where we harvest different varieties of native cider apples.