The Stone Schools, in Llanes, were this Saturday the setting for the first edition of "Entendíos en Sidre," a training proposal promoted by Campus Campu whose aim is to raise the level of preparation of tasters and members of the judging panel who take part in competitions for Asturian homemade cider.
The session, led by the sommelier, a member of the Cofradía de la Sidra and responsible for Campus Campu, Ricardo del Río, combined theoretical explanations with practical exercises to deepen sensory analysis of cider and establish shared criteria that enable more precise and consistent evaluations.
Throughout the training, attendees focused on recognizing cider’s positive attributes and possible defects, paying attention to its visual aspects, aromas, and sensations in the mouth. Likewise, work was done on how to describe these characteristics and translate them into a score adjusted to the scoring guidelines used in the events.
The practical block included the detailed use of a tasting sheet, the completion of a theoretical exam, and a contest simulation, in which the students had to put into practice what they had learned in a context very similar to that of an official competition.
The day concluded with the awarding of diplomas, backed by the Cátedra de la Sidra de Asturias and the Federación Asturiana de Sidra Casera (FASCA).
The event was attended by the first deputy mayor of the Llanes Town Hall, Juan Carlos Armas, the Councillor for Tourism, Aurora Aguilar, and the director of the Cátedra de la Sidra de Asturias of the University of Oviedo, Luis Benito. This program, the result of the work of the technical committee convened on October 9, concluded with a get-together (espicha) at La Peña'l Cura, in Porrúa.