Saint Marcel: the Alpine cradle of Italian cider

Nestled in the heart of the Aosta Valley, surrounded by peaks rising above 3,000 metres, Saint Marcel has become the pioneer of cider culture in Italy. Its name is now part of European cider history: it is the first Italian municipality to formally join the European Network of Cider and Apple Cities (Cider Cities), after signing a protocol at the XIII International Hall of Gala Ciders (SISGA) in Xixón.

At the core of Saint Marcel’s identity lies the Raventze apple, traditionally grown in La Salle, Antey and Saint Marcel itself. Resistant to the Alpine climate and with unique organoleptic qualities, it is protected under a Denominazione Comunale (De.Co). This variety has fuelled a cider revival in the Aosta Valley, reviving a tradition rooted in the Middle Ages.

The flagship of this revival is Maley, Saint Marcel’s cider brand, created in 2011 by Gianluca Telloli and produced at the historic La Valdôtaine distillery. Inspired by the classic sparkling wine method, Maley crafts premium ciders exclusively from Raventze apples, with a limited production of 20,000 bottles per year, acclaimed internationally.

By joining Cider Cities, Saint Marcel brings Italy into a European framework of cooperation around apples and cider, alongside Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and the UK. It also takes part in the CIDEREU strategy, presented to the European Union, which aims to boost sustainable rural development through apples and cider.

Beyond production, Saint Marcel promotes cider as cultural heritage and tourism tool, with orchard visits, tastings, enological routes and local festivities. Valdostan cider symbolises both the continuity of a peasant past and the opening to a future of innovation and international cooperation.