The Event: Launch of Zapiain Spanish Basque cider.

The Date and Time: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 5PM to 6PM

The Event: Launch of Zapiain Spanish Basque cider.

The Venue: Barque

The Target Audience: wine writers, sommeliers

The Availability/Catalogue: A new company Ekialdeko Imports was formed to import this impressive cider from the Basque region of Spain.

The Quote/Background: The Zapiain family started the current business in 1950 as artisanal apple cider (called sagardoa, in the region) using cider-type apples, chosen from more than 30 types of Basque apples. It can be a dry apple wine, at about 6% ABV, but it does contain a small amount naturally carbonized gas for a 750mL bottle with a cork closure. It should be shaken to awake the gas and the natural sediment, and then poured from a height (like a sherry) into a glass, a few ounces at a time. Perhaps the "pommelier" might be best at this since the cider is only available from the agent at $10 a bottle, and there are limited quantities reserved mainly for restaurants such as Barque (which had the launch).

 

Zapiain Astigarragako Sagardoa, 750 mL $10: under cork, refreshing, slightly sour with a good cider feel of apples, sediment cloudiness. Light yeast taste, certainly rustic and artisanal. Best with food.

 

The Food: .. and you thought we were going to have BBQ? Barque offered a variety of Basque styled tapas!! Including cheese, white anchovies on toasts, smoked fish and roe on toasts, cold cuts, mussels, and other platters I could not reach across the expansive table (good thing, too). Excellent accompaniment.

The Downside: it was just one product to taste (which I have not done since 1986), but too tempting to resist. How many non-Canadian ciders do we get in Ontario?

The Upside: chance to taste something non-vinous and the tapas.

The Contact Person: sales@ekialdeko.com; dean@rootenbergcc.com

 

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 92.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com