Wineries for sale in Gipuzkoa: masters of white txakoli

Gipuzkoa is one of three provinces in the Basque Country, along with Vizcaya and Álava. Its capital city is San Sebastián, known for its great beauty. While being bordered by Navarre and the rest of the Basque provinces, it is situated close to the Atlantic-Pyrenees in the extreme east of the Cantabria Sea. With an area of 1,997km² and 88 towns, it is the smallest province in Spain.

HISTORY OF WINE

The characteristic wine of the Basque Country is txakoli. It began being produced in a familiar way in traditional hamlets and documents state that in the 16^th century it began being sold to other nearby regions. The Rioja Alavesa area has always been strong competition for this type of wine. It received world fame in recent years and the wineries began to modernize their technology for production. It is mainly about white wine but red wines and rosés are also produced with a smooth and fruity flavor.

WINES AND WINERIES

In the 80’some winemaking associations were formed in the three main areas of the Basque Country that produced txakoli: Gipuzkoa, Vizcaya and Álava. They were the prelude to the three Designations of Origin of this wine: DO Getariako Txakolina-Txakoli de Getaria, DO Bizkaiko Txakolina-Txakoli de Bizkaia and DO Arabako Txakolina-Txakoli de Álava. The white txakoli is highlighted in the Designation of Origin Gipuzkoa.

Famous txakoli wineries in Gipuzkoa are Bodega Hiruzta, Bodegas K5, Señorío de Astobiza, Bodegas Talai Berri, Bodegas Txomin Echaniz and Bodegas Ameztoi. In Vizcaya and Álava there are also well-known wineries such as Bodega Gorka Izagirre, Bodegas Itsasmendi, Bodegas Uriarte, Bodegas Virgen de Lorea and Bodegas Berroja.

POINTS OF INTEREST

All areas of the Basque Country boast great beauty and have strong touristic interest, but specifically, the province of Gipuzkoa offers unique places. When talking about the beaches on the Cantabrian Sea, with cliffs such as Deba and Zumaia, it is impossible not to mention the La Concha bay, around the capital city of the province: Donostia – San Sebastián. Other towns in the beautiful are Zarautz, Getaria, Mutriku, and Hondarribia. The Basque gastronomy is world famous, especially for its deeply rooted custom: pintxos, highly valued snacks which are served in small portions in bars.