Saizar
Saizar is one of the most important cider producers of the Basque Country, both in terms of volume and the quality of its drink.
Saizar’s origins date back to the 1970s, when Esteban Lertxundi, a great connoisseur of cider and its production process, decided to take advantage of his Saizar homestead, a typical agricultural farm, and the ancient Ikuilu, to create a cider house.
Thanks to his knowledge of the cider industry and together with his wife, Olivia Ibarguren, and their children, the whole Lertxundi family dedicated their body and soul to the new cider house business. Open all year round, it is getting stronger and stronger. Adding a renowned oenologist to the team has helped the business to take another step forward in its professionalisation.
The second generation has gradually invested in technology and adapted to the new requirements of the sector. Saziar has three cideries and advanced technology for the production and bottling plant. At the same time, it has a distribution network with national coverage.
Currently, Saziar is one of the largest producers of cider in the Basque Country, and its goal is now focussed on conquering the international market, which is becoming increasingly interested in this typically Basque drink. Getting to the top can only be achieved by maintaining optimum quality standards, and at Saizar they are applied by looking after the quality and uniformity of its crops.
In this sense, producing a cider of the highest quality requires great work and monitoring the crops, to harvest the apples at the optimum time for each variety; in turn, it is also necessary to select the different types of apple carefully. From the end of September to mid-November, the crop is harvested, selected and received.
Saizar has its own land for growing apple trees, and its commitment to the native apple variety has led it, since 2005, to increase the crop gradually. Nowadays it covers an area of 16 hectares.
Saizar has its own land for growing apple trees, and its commitment to the native apple variety has led it, since 2005, to increase the crop gradually. Nowadays it covers an area of 16 hectares.
Ultimately, today SAIZAR has three lines of business. On the one hand is the preparation, production and distribution of the cider, opting for local apples to make cider with the Euskal Sagardoa Denomination of Origin. On the other hand, is the restaurant, the cider house, which is open all year round, offering a wide range of menus. Finally, there is the tourist element, since the doors have been opened to tourism. They offer guided tours, and in 2020, the Olivi 1948 country house was opened, surrounded by apple trees located in a privileged location.
Saizar, where tradition and modernity blend to offer you a unique experience!
Discover the launch events for the opening of the txotx tasting!
Saizar’s goal is to maintain the tradition of its craft in making its ciders, passed down through the generations, and to which more innovative production processes and facilities have been added gradually, including the measuring and quality control systems, and the indicators set by its oenologist. Hence, the facilities with their state-of-the-art technology have gained more prominence over time, nowadays taking up 1000m2.
