By Ria Windcaller | eCiderNews
ASTURIAS, Spain — One of the world’s oldest cider regions is taking another step toward formalizing cider education.
Graduates of the Second Cider Sommelier Course – Tasting Panel are receiving their diplomas today, July 23, 2026, at a ceremony Casa de la Buelga in Ciañu, Langreo, capping an advanced program designed to train professionals in the technical evaluation, sensory analysis, and service of cider. The event marks the completion of an advanced training course focused on sensory analysis, technical cider evaluation, and professional cider service.
Hosted by the Langreo City Council, the Asturias XXI Foundation, and the Asturias Cider Chair, the ceremony is expected to include Langreo’s mayor, representatives of the organizing institutions, instructors, and graduates.
As cider continues to professionalize worldwide, Asturias is demonstrating that even one of cider’s oldest cultural strongholds sees value in formal education, standardized sensory evaluation, and professional training.
Although Asturias has been synonymous with cider for centuries, formal cider education is a relatively recent development. The School of Cider Sommellerie launched its first introductory course in 2025 before expanding this year with a more advanced, 25-hour curriculum centered on sensory evaluation and tasting methodology.
For readers interested in understanding the traditions that shaped this educational program, Cider Chat previously explored Asturian cider culture with Anzu Fernández, who explains the customs, history, and everyday role cider plays in Asturias. That cultural foundation helps explain why the region is now investing in formal training for the next generation of cider professionals.
Related listening: Cider Chat Episode 062: Anzu Fernández, MD | La Sidra, Asturias
Unlike introductory beverage service courses, the program focuses on developing a common technical language for evaluating cider. Students participated in blind tastings using coded samples and standardized evaluation forms while learning to identify aromas, flavors, visual characteristics, fermentation faults, and service issues. The tasting panel component was led by Juan Luis García, a professor at the CIFP School of Hospitality and Tourism and director of the course.
The curriculum also included Asturian cider culture, cider sommellerie techniques, yeast and fermentation processes, aroma families, food pairing, ice cider, enological terminology, and traditional Asturian cider pouring and service technique.
According to organizers, graduates are being prepared not only to recommend and serve cider but also to participate in judging panels, competitions, official tastings, and specialized consulting. Diplomas are co-signed by García and by Marcos A. Fernández, president of the Asturias XXI Foundation, with backing from the Principality of Asturias’ Department of Culture.
A Sign of Cider’s Professional Evolution
The development reflects a broader trend taking place throughout the cider world.
For decades, wine has benefited from internationally recognized educational and certification programs. Cider is now building similar professional pathways, with programs emerging in multiple countries to support judges, educators, hospitality professionals, and cider specialists.
Asturias’ approach is particularly noteworthy because it comes from one of cider’s historic heartlands. Rather than relying solely on tradition, the region is investing in standardized sensory training and technical evaluation, helping create a shared vocabulary for discussing cider quality.
For cider professionals outside Spain, the program represents another important educational model alongside other established certification pathways, including the Certified Pommelier™ program in North America.
As cider continues to gain recognition around the world, formal education programs such as this one are likely to play an increasingly important role in developing knowledgeable ambassadors, judges, and service professionals.
Readers interested in future editions can find general program information through the CIFP School of Hospitality and Tourism in Gijón, which co-administers the course. A date for a third edition has not yet been announced; eCiderNews will update this story when registration opens.
Read the Original Announcement
The original announcement was published by La Sidra in Asturian, the regional language of Asturias. For readers interested in the original article, it can be found here: La Sidra
Editor’s Note: Because the original announcement is published in Asturian rather than English, eCiderNews has prepared an English-language summary of the key points above for our international readership. We encourage readers to visit and support La Sidra, one of the leading publications dedicated to Asturias’ cider culture.
Why This Matters to Ciderville
As cider continues to earn recognition alongside wine and beer, formal education is becoming increasingly important. Programs like Asturias’ Cider Sommelier Course help establish shared standards for tasting, service, judging, and communication while preserving the regional traditions that make cider unique.
For cider professionals, producers, judges, and enthusiasts around the world, the growth of structured education signals another step in cider’s evolution as a respected global beverage. Whether developed in Asturias, North America, or elsewhere, these programs contribute to a more knowledgeable and connected international cider community.
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