Mendiboleko Sagardotegia

Mendiboleko Sagardotegia is a family-run artisanal cider house near Azkoitia in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, set in an elevated rural position with striking views over the surrounding mountains and green valleys. The estate produces its own cider from traditional Basque apple varieties grown in the orchards that surround the property, adhering to the natural, slow-fermentation methods that characterise the finest Basque sagardotegiak. The cider house season — January through April — brings the primary txotx experience: guests gather at enormous wooden barrels as the tap is opened and hold their glasses to catch the arc of cold, naturally fermented cider. The fixed traditional menu accompanies: salt cod omelette, txuleton steak, and idiazabal cheese with walnuts and quince paste, all consumed standing at long communal tables while cider flows freely. Outside the cider season, the estate receives visitors at weekends for tastings and guided visits of the orchard and cellar. The mountain setting of Mendiboleko distinguishes it from the cider houses nearer Astigarraga: the remoteness and the views are part of the appeal, and the smaller scale of the operation creates a more intimate experience than the larger, more famous sagardotegiak. Reservations are required even during the cider season, as capacity is more limited than at larger houses.