“Each cidermaker who comes becomes a publicist for Asturies and our cider”
The Casa Paquet, Tourism Headquarters of the Xixón City Council, was the setting where the presentation of this international cider event took place, which with this thirteenth edition reached a participation record, with 92 cider mills presenting 287 varieties of cider different in what is the largest international cider event in Asturies and one of the most important in Europe.
The press conference was opened by Angela Pumariaga, Vice Mayor of Xixón, who declared that “For Xixón it is a real pride that this SISGA is held here once again, an event that places Xixón and Asturies as an international cider reference” highlighting the importance of the signing of the Protocol of Accession to the European Network of Cider Cities, which will take place in the Reception Hall of the Xixón City Council, being hosted by the Mayor of Xixón, Ms. Carmen Moriyón, and which will make our city the official center of this network that will bring together the efforts of all cities and regions with cider-making tradition on the continent, with Xixón and Asturies as a reference.
Regarding the cider, Pumariega declared that “We could not understand ourselves without the cider culture, affirming the influence of the cider culture on the Xixón’s character, one of the things that is most highlighted by visitors who come to our city.”
This was followed by the intervention of Marcos A. Fernández, President of the Asturies XXI Foundation, who highlighted the very strong participation of cider mills from almost all continents – with the exception of Australia – despite the great communication difficulties that Asturies suffers and the enormous economic cost to bring cider from places as far away as Japan, Peru or Finland. “Bringing 12 bottles of cider from Japan, for example, costs around 1,200 euros, which does not prevent more cider makers and importers from wanting to be present and get to know Asturies every year.”
Also participating in the press conference was Manuel G. Busto, President of the Jury of the Salón Internacional de les Sidres de Gala, who explained how the competition works, the only one with a completely independent jury in which the participants themselves are part of it and in which that any bias is avoided by the method of subtracting the maximum and minimum scores from each tasting, always carried out blindly.
He recalled that this contest is also the only one in which a classification adjusted to the official cider nomenclature included in the 2017 legislation is used.
For his part, Juan Suárez Stové, Director of the Asturies Cider Museum, which has the Xixón City Council as its patron and who for the first time participant in SISGA with the presentation of Japanese cider on Friday the 29th and a visit to the MuSi, he promised to show during the visit to its facilities “Why we are at the forefront of cider culture.” Stove also recognized the importance of carbonated cider in the spread of cider throughout the world.
In his speech Marcos A. Fernández, president of the Asturies XXI Foundation, organizer of this event, gave a brief summary of the main activities that will take place during these four days and which can be consulted on the sisga.info and lasidra.as websites.
Throughout these days, guided tastings, talks and cider meetings will take place, highlighting, as already mentioned, the Constitution of the RECS with official international representation, an unprecedented novelty that recognizes Xixón internationally as the main headquarters of the European cider environment. .
The main event for the general public will take place on Saturday in the FIDMA Congress Hall with the exhibition of products to the public where for only ten euros you will not only be able to try all these ciders but you will have the privilege of being able to speak directly with the cidermakers from all over the world.
The finishing touch will be on Sunday at the El Duque Restaurant with the Gala Brunch in which a series of very specific first-class gastronomic proposals will be made to pair with different types of cider from the participants in the Show, following the which the long-awaited delivery of the prestigious SISGA Awards will take place.
The International Hall of Gala Ciders will take place from September 28 to October 1, with the Protocol of Adhesion to the European Network of Cider Cities signing on Friday the 29th, and the Open Tasting Day being on Saturday the 30th in the Congress Hall of the Asturies International Trade Fair from 12 to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.
