Villaviciosa hosted this Wednesday, April 22, the official presentation of the 33rd 
Official Asturian Cider Pourers Championship. The event was held at the headquarters of the Consejo Regulador de la DOP Sidra de Asturies and served to present the main new features and calendar of one of the most emblematic competitions in the cider world.
The presentation was led by the entity’s manager, Daniel Ruiz; the president of the Asociación de Escanciadores de Asturies, Saúl Moro; the mayor of Villaviciosa, Alejandro Vega; and the director of the Caja Rural de Asturies branch in Villaviciosa, José Ramón Alonso.
Also attending were Llucía Fernández, representing LA SIDRA magazine; several championship participants, including current champion Salvador Ondó, and pourers Alejandra Vanegas, Isabella Padrón and Sandra Martínez, as well as jury members Abraham Castellanos and Nicolás Expósito. Martín Lebón, head of the agricultural sector, also attended on behalf of Caja Rural de Asturies.
Both the Villaviciosa Town Council and Caja Rural reaffirmed their commitment to the competition, highlighting that it strengthens Asturian identity and tradition and represents a key part of the country’s culture.
New features this year
This year’s edition includes several notable changes. In addition to adding a new event to the calendar, Lorena Alonso, technical manager of the Sidraturismo Asturies product club, will present each round and help increase the championship’s visibility on social media.
It was also agreed to study the possibility of highlighting the winning cider house at each event and awarding diplomas to the second and third-place finishers in each Under-25 category event, sponsored by LA SIDRA.
Eighteen events across Asturies
The championship will consist of 18 events, including a new round in Argüeru, scheduled for August on a date yet to be confirmed. The opening event will take place this coming Saturday, April 24, in La Felguera.
The rest of the calendar will travel through Cabranes, Llanera, Gascona, Mieres, Nava, Lugones, Navia, Llanes, Tapia, Xixón, Corvera, Pola Siero, Villaviciosa, Ribesella, Les Arriondes and Colunga.
Jury and black glass draw
Laura Ovín will serve this year as president of the jury, which will include four historic champions —plus one reserve member— to evaluate the participants’ performances.
During the presentation, the draw was also held for the four events where the traditional opaque black glass will be used. The selected venues were Navia, Tapia, Villaviciosa and Gascona.
