translated from Spanish: New cider rescues flavors and traditions of Chiloé

More than a hundred years ago, they began to grow apples on the edge of the Chilean sea thanks to the first settlers who came to Chiloé. Today, decades later, these fruits are rescued by the architect Juan Carlos García through his new undertaking: Dalca cider.
Sparkling wine carries the same name of the first boats Chiloé. Made from apples from the Rilán Peninsula on Chiloé, one of the “most beautiful of Chiloé territories” and one that concentrates the wealth of their culture, associated with agriculture and other traditional activities. The place is even considered as world agricultural heritage by FAO.
Fusion of sea and land “through a merger of the local traditions of production with new techniques in its development, managed to generate a cider of high quality and unique taste. Now we hope to take the magic chilota to various restaurants and specialty stores in the country, through a natural and exclusive product”, says the creator of drink.
The adventure began three years ago, when to seek alternatives to diversify productive Island activity – based on their traditions-Garcia was given account that Apple trees in the area grew at the edge of the sea, unlike what happens in the central area in other countries cider as Argentina or Chile.
“In regions such as the North of France, products very similar to our own, instead of being accompanied with wine or beer, be tasted together with an apple cider. And so, think of one that had the identity of Chiloé, a place that is very close to my heart and that is culturally melt the Earth with the sea,”says the entrepreneur.
With that in mind, the architect gave impetus to his initiative to turn it into a product that could reflect and rescue the best of Chiloé and its culture.
Apples marine “Apple trees of Chiloé is characterized by grow to the edge of the sea, whose salinity gives you a special and unique flavor to this cider, with a gentle bubbling, acidity and balanced sweetness, as well as a deep golden color”, emphasizes Garcia.
On this occasion, was a limited production of cider, with a combination of different types of apples Chiloé. To this end, Garcia and a group of farmers tested six types of this fruit, choosing two of them, that could be balanced sweetness and acidity.
Then were traditional techniques of shredded and extraction of the juice, a procedure similar to the of chicha, but differs from it in its final stage of development: a process of controlled fermentation and filtration, for providing gas, sweetness and color that the team was looking for.
Dalca, boat that allowed indigenous people to develop their life between land and sea, marks the spirit of this cider: “become a sparkling wine which seeks to be the bridge that melts the sea air and the Earth chilota to offer a flavor a cider ico”, explains the architect.
Product was presented for the first time at the restaurant and seafood restaurant Mar de Amores of Cerro Alegre, Valparaiso, the first restaurant in that city live seafood. The drink was accompanied with a tasting of oysters, mussels and other marine products.
It is expected to Dalca on the national market from the second half of this year.

Original source in Spanish