La Mosterei
La Mosterei is located in the hamlet of Tetti di Dronero, in the lower Valle Maira, at an altitude of 700 metres below Mount Meloi, in the mountains of the Cuneo area, which, if you think about it, is not far from the French border. Here where time seems to have stood still, where everything has remained intact, including the old roadside signs, covered in an ancient aura, it is from here that apple juice comes from.
Livia Pomero is the queen of the apples, she is the one who has chosen the harder path by replanting in her orchard only the ancient indigenous varieties of that area, rather than giving way to the famous Golden, loved by industry and hated by those who care about biodiversity. Livia's apples are stark, buras, ravé vert and carpendu (local species of green and grey renette). Today Livia is supported by her nephew Davide who is following the path with the same care and integrity of her aunt.
Livia's farm becomes La Mosterei, in German literally “the house where apples are pressed", thanks to an happy encounter in 2006 with Michael, originally from Nuremberg, who was travelling to the Valle Maira to gather material for his job dedicated to the area of valli occitane. Their meeting gave rise to the idea of transforming their own apples into juice, with the use of high-end machinery imported from Germany. How to make juice? The fruit is hand-picked from the trees, washed, left to air dry in crates, chopped and pressed. The juice that comes out is mechanically filtered, undergoes a pasteurisation process and is finally bottled or hot-packed.