Spring, when the new vintage is fresh, cidermakers all over the world are pulling their hard work out of barrels and tanks, constructing blends destined for a ready glass, somewhere. Working in this way, with the seasons, Spring becomes a time for deep reflection and joyful celebration, a time to take pride in a job well done and consider what the next harvest might hold. In Gijon, Asturias, cider makers from Sidra Trabanco, Sidra Muñiz, Sidra Peñón and Sidra Foncueva gather to taste the new vintage from their project La Sidra de Manzana Seleccionada, or "Selected Apple Cider." Manzana Seleccionada is centered around the traditional apple varieties of Asturias and seeks to establish quality standards for Sidra Natural from the orchard to the bottle. This past May, while traveling through Spain, we found ourselves watching the first bottles of the 2016 vintage popped, poured and wehappily drunk culíns of fresh Sidra along side them.
Preparació
Dog eared, highlighted and stained with olive oil, our growing body of Spanish cookbooks and culinary references have inspired our minds, kitchen and garden. As they continue to stack up, we get closer and closer to a trip we've planning all year - Our honeymoon to Spain.
We'll be traveling from Barcelona to Asturias, from San Sebastian to Rioja and just about everywhere in between. With glasses full of sidra, we'll be checking in with old friends, dining at places we've been dreaming of and while we plan to make a few long form posts when we return, keep in touch on the Cider/Food Instagram, Eva will be documenting the in-the-moment experiences we're swept up by on along the way.
- R
Morcilla - A Spanish Diamond in The City of Steel
After reading an article in the online publication PUNCH about Pittsburgh's growing Tiki culture, we took a detour on our way back to The Hudson Valley from holidays spent in Chicago.
While our tiki experience at Hidden Harbor was a hit, we left our hearts hanging with the Jamon Imberico at Morcilla. Chef Justin Severino's pintoxs and traditional Asturian dishes, washed down with Sidra Natural, was a jump start to our senses - We'll be heading to Spain in May for our honeymoon.
- E
