Trabanco
Asturias
It’s impossible to think of Asturias without cider, and it’s impossible to think of cider without Trabanco. Over its century-long trajectory, this family-owned cider house has become synonymous with the traditional rustic apple ciders of Asturias.
Introducing the Estate
Asturian Icon
Like most families from the Asturian countryside, the Trabancos made cider from their own apples for countless generations. In 1925, Emilio Trabanco decided to turn a household hobby into a family business, and Sidra Trabanco quickly became known throughout Spain. Not much has changed since then: for over 100 years, the Trabanco family has used traditional methods to produce exceptional ciders.
History & Origins
Bottling Tradition
In 1925, Emilio Trabanco founded Sidra Trabanco in the village of Lavandera, in the countryside just outside Gijón. Over the next decades, he and his family worked tirelessly to share their cider with every corner of Asturias, delivering it with an ox-drawn cart and selling it at local festivals in Gijón.
In 1963, Emilio’s children, Vicente and Alicia, took over the family business and helped to modernize cider production. Their cider was one of the first to hit the market right after fermentation, and enormous demand meant that it was often sold out by May. Trabanco quickly expanded beyond Asturias and developed a reputation throughout Spain as the region’s premier cider producer.
From an early age, Samuel Trabanco learned the art of cider making from his grandfather, father, and uncle. Today, he represents the third generation of master cider makers at the helm of Sidra Trabanco. For more than 30 years, he has taken traditional Asturian cider to new heights, firmly establishing the Trabanco name as a symbol of quality and authenticity.
Cider Runs in the Family
Generational Excellence
Samuel Trabanco is somewhat famous in the world of Asturian cider. A restless innovator, he was the first to open the cider house to the public and one of the first to export Asturian cider outside Spain.
In 1983, Samuel and his wife Toñi founded Casa Trabanco, a sidrería that pairs the family’s cider with traditional Asturian food. With no more culinary experience than their grandmothers’ recipes, they sought advice from friends who were beginning to pair cider with grilled meats and fish in the emerging Basque sagardotegis. Their determination and natural gift for hospitality turned Casa Trabanco into a gastronomic landmark and a natural gathering place to enjoy Asturias’s best-known cider. Today, fourth-generation Yolanda, Samuel’s eldest daughter, runs the cider house, and the rest of the family is working hard to carry on Emilio Trabanco’s hundred-year legacy for generations to come.
Preservation & Innovation
A Whole World in a Barrel
The secret to Sidra Trabanco’s quality lies in the superior raw materials they use. The family currently farms around 100 hectares of apple orchards using integrated organic agriculture. Among them are many heritage Asturian apple varieties, which the family is working hard to keep from extinction. This amazing diversity gives them a broad palette to craft each cider with precision and creativity.
For the flagship Sidra Naturala cider, harvesting takes place in the fall when apples are at optimum ripeness. Apples are pressed and their juice is fermented with indigenous yeasts in old chestnut barrels, in accordance with the guidelines for natural cider in Asturias, producing a tart, low-alcohol cider without any carbonation.
Trabanco is one of the last cider houses to ferment and age exclusively in traditional wood barrels. Their cider house is home to an incredible array of old chestnut barrels dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, some of which hold up to 20,000 liters. Each barrel has a unique microclimate and its own yeast colony, which adds complexity, texture, and depth to the ciders.
Though they have a deep respect for tradition, Trabanco is also at the forefront of innovation, constantly experimenting with different styles. Among them is Alicia, a Sidra de Autor, or craft cider, that is the result of Samuel Trabanco’s lifetime of experience with native Asturian apple varieties. A single-varietal cider made from Martina, a nearly forgotten red Asturian apple variety, Alicia is named for Samuel’s mother, who guided her children through the family’s apple orchards and instilled in Samuel a lifetime of respect for his craft.
Trabanco’s innovation also extends outside of the world of cider: drawing on memories of when Emilio Trabanco would add cider to his vermouth to balance out its sweetness, they created Alma de Trabanco—a blend of white wine, cider, and botanicals that is bottled en rama, or unfiltered.
Enjoying Cider the Asturian Way
Pour it High
Pouring cider from up high into a flat-bottomed glass isn’t just a cool party trick: the high pour aerates the cider and releases its aromatic components. Watching an escanciador lock eyes with each guest while pouring a generous gulp, or culín, of cider, is one of the best parts about a trip to Asturias. Luckily, Sidra Trabanco helps to bring the joyful, buzzy atmosphere of the cider house all over the world.
Products
Cider
Trabanco Sidra Natural Selección
Trabanco Sin Alcohol Asturian Sidra
Trabanco Poma Áurea Sidra Natural Brut Nature
Trabanco Alicia Sidra de Autor Asturias
Liqueur
