Iduna Apple Cider

Iduna Apple Cider from the South Tyrolean Unterland

Iduna is an apple cider from South Tyrol, pressed from three apple varieties and fermented in pressurized tanks. It is not apple juice with added carbonation, but an apple sparkling wine with 5.5 percent alcohol, whose fine fizz comes solely from the fermentation process.

Iduna Apple Cider is the sparkling apple wine from Hofkellerei Maffei in Kurtinig on the South Tyrolean Wine Road, bottled in a 750-ml bottle and available in a six-pack upon request. It appears straw-yellow in the glass, with a greenish shimmer. Because Giorgio Maffei processes only apples from his own three hectares, you can taste the Unterland here, not anonymous mass-produced goods.

Straw-yellow, finely pearled, fragrant with the scent of ripe apples

Three apple varieties go into Iduna, and what they create together smells like an orchard in September – like peel, juice, and a touch of meadow.

The perlage is fine and persistent, which is because it does not come from the bottle, but is created in the fermentation tank. The cider remains lean and, with its moderate alcohol content, is much easier to drink than a sparkling wine, without ever feeling thin. Those expecting apple juice will be surprised by how crisp and clean this apple sparkling wine is.

It takes its name from Iduna, the Norse goddess who guarded the golden apples and thereby preserved the youth of the gods. For a drink from South Tyrolean apple orchards, that is a far-fetched patron – but a lovely one.

The aperitif for the late afternoon

Well-chilled at six to eight degrees, Iduna is an aperitif that does not push itself to the fore, but rather prepares the appetite and then makes way.

It pairs just as well with light appetizers and vegetarian dishes as it does with a plate of South Tyrolean speck. It has long since become established as a base for cocktails in many a bar – a few fresh apple slices in the glass is all it needs. Those who prefer something fruitier will find its pink counterpart in the Melino with raspberry and ginger. In our cider selection, neighbors from France and England are also waiting.

Giorgio Maffei and his apple meadows in the Unterland

Giorgio Maffei is a fourth-generation fruit grower and oenologist, and in 2010 he began making cider from his own apples – a drink that was practically unknown in South Tyrol at the time.

On three hectares around the farm, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Fuji grow alongside Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Gala, picked by hand and often as early as mid-August. Giorgio then presses them gently and ferments the juice at low temperatures in pressurized tanks, which keep the resulting carbonation in the drink. He consciously refrains from adding sugar or injecting carbonation into the bottle.

He wanted, as he describes it himself, to bring back "a traditional, almost forgotten drink as a first-class, innovative product." The jury of the CiderWorld Award 2020 in Frankfurt agreed and awarded it gold, with 111 out of 120 points. In addition, the estate carries the South Tyrol quality seal, which stands for controlled origin. For someone who started from scratch, that is quite a statement. You can find what else comes from Hofkellerei Maffei here.