TXAKOLI
There are few better places to learn about txakoli, the wine of the Basque Country, than Leioa.
Our town is home to the official headquarters of the Bizkaiko Txakolina D.O., where you can buy this unique wine at cellar prices in addition to guided tours and wine tastings.
Would you like to get to know it? You are in the right place.
History of txakoli
The identity and uniqueness of this wine are based on its cultivation territory close to the sea, its temperate Atlantic climate, and a winemaking tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, linked to the caserío “farmhouse” and the rural milieu.
The first documentary evidence of “chacolin wine” dates back to 1616.
At the beginning of the 20th century, due to rival wines, industrialisation and phylloxera, a large part of our town’s 2,874 vineyards registered in 1891, were lost.
The vineyards, on the hillsides
Txakoli vineyards are distinguished by the particularities of the land they grow on.
Firstly, they are cultivated on hillside farms that seek maximum sunlight, sheltered from the north wind and at an average altitude of between 50 and 200 m above sea level.
Furthermore, the soils are varied, generally being shallow, slightly acidic and of clay loam texture, on limestone and marl, and mildly sour.
Grape varieties and types of txakoli
Txakoli is made with grape varieties specified by the Regulatory Council, which is responsible for guaranteeing the quality of the wine produced under the Bizkaiko Txakolina DO.
The main types of grapes used are as follows:
- Hondarrabi zuri. Main variety from the Basque Country.
- Hondarrabi zuri zerratia. It is known for its tighter grape clusters.
- Hondarrabi beltza. It is used to make red wine and rosé (ojo de gallo). Some studies seem to confirm that this variety could be the ancestor of Cabernet Franc.
These varieties are used to produce the different types of wine known as “txakoli”:
- White txakoli, which accounts for 95 % of total production. White txakoli fermented in a cask. These are produced from vineyards located in plots with adequate exposure and soil conditions that transmit a differential character that allows fermentation in oak barrels.
- The rosé txakoli or “Ojo de gallo”. A minimum of 50% of the red variety is used for its production.
- Hondarrabi Beltza or red txakoli. Made with the Hondarrabi Beltza variety.
- Late harvest. Obtained with overripe grapes.
Sparkling wines are obtained with a production and ageing process that is carried out in the bottle where the “tiraje” has been carried out.
You can try them at organised wine tastings or buy bottles of txakoli at winery prices at the Palacio Mendibile Jauregia shop.
MENDIBILE JAUREGIA
The Regulatory Council
Mendibile Jauregia is a chateau dating from the end of the 17th century which houses, among other facilities, the headquarters of the Regulatory Council of the Bizkaiko Txakolina D.O. which, as mentioned above, is the institution responsible for ensuring the authenticity of the wines produced by its member wineries.
This D.O. was created to publicise, value and protect this ancestral wine, the fruit of Atlantic viticulture with autochthonous varieties and the know-how of our caseríos “farmhouses”.
It is also the headquarters of the Mendibile Jauregia Association, formed by the Bizkaiko Txakolina Designation of Origin, Leioa Town Council and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
Wine tastings and guided tours
The Txakoli Interpretation Centre is a space where the details of the production, history and culture of this great wine, the Txakoli of Bizkaia, are displayed by means of a system of panels and videos.
The different types of Txakoli we produce can be tasted during the visit.
Bizkaiko Txakolina & Musika
Enjoy a sensorial wine-tasting and sampling experience of txakoli together with live music.
Come to Bizkaiko Txakolina & Musika this year, which is held every June after a successful debut in 2018.
Don’t get distracted; it is held every year in June, and this time, you can’t miss out.
We are waiting for you.
The txakoli shop
Our shop, “Bizkaiko Txakolina”, has the largest representation of the different txakoli with D.O. Txakoli de Bizkaia at winery prices.
It can be purchased either in person or on request.
Txakomic, tales of txakoli
“Txakomik” is an event in Mendibile Jauregia that combines the tradition of txakoli and Basque comics.
During the first two weekends of April, the Txakoli Museum-Txakolingunea in Bakio and Mendibile Jauregia in Leioa are transformed into meeting places where txakoli and Basque comics become the leading stars.
You can attend commented wine tastings, live music concerts and workshops for children.
Come and see for yourself!
Address:
Mendibile Jauregia
Bº Mendibile 42
48940 Leioa (Bizkaia)
Restaurant:
Phone: 944 666 190
Website
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