TXAKOLI

Txakoli is a mostly white wine that is produced mainly in the Basque Country, and to a lesser extent in Cantabria, Burgos and in some parts of Chile. The Dictionary of the Spanish language defines it as a “somewhat sour light wine that is made in the Basque Country, Cantabria and Chile”,2 while the dictionary of the Basque language defines it as a “light and quite acid wine made especially on the coast of the Basque Country”.3 Today, none of these definitions are completely true, since in addition to being made in inland areas, there are numerous txakolis that lack the acidity of traditional txakolis, gathering the usual characteristics of other wines. However, by definition, txakoli is a wine with a certain acidity, which sets it apart from other wines.

Txakoli is made from Courbu variety grapes, known in Spain as Hondarrabi Zuri (white) and Hondarrabi Beltza (red; the latter much less widespread). This difficult-to-grow variety has the characteristic of giving an acidic, fresh and easy-to-drink wine. The traditional txakoli is lightly carbonated and with a slightly lower alcohol content than traditional wines; However, many of the current txakolis, in which other grapes are also used, lack carbon dioxide and contain an alcohol content similar to that of other wines. The largest production is centered on the wineries in the Basque coastal towns of Guetaria, Zarautz and Aia, belonging to the Getariako Txakolina Designation of Origin.

In the past, txakoli was produced by hand in farmhouses or country houses. It was traded, at least since the beginning of the 16th century in Guipúzcoa, from when the first historical document in which reference is made to chacolí as such dates back to. Around the 17th century there were also references in Bizkaia about txakoli. At the beginning of the 19th century, if not before, tithes of txakoli were paid from Bizkaia to the Count of Montijo, giving rise to several lawsuits.11 In the 19th century there are also news of the txakoli trade between Bizkaia and towns in Cantabria such as Colindres .