Region Of The Week: Basque Country
Basque Country, also known as País Vasco in Spanish, is a small wine region located in northern Spain. It is most famous for its production of txakoli wines, which almost died out during the phylloxera epidemic. With a climate heavily influenced by the Atlantic ocean, Basque Country tends to have cool summers and cold winters. Their main varietals are Hondarribi Zuri, Hondarribi Beltza, Gross Manseng, Petit Manseng, Petit Corbu, and Folle Blanche.
While Basque Country is home to four designations of origin, only three of them produce Txakoli wines. DO Arabako Txakolina, located in the north of the Alava province, was established in 2001, making it the youngest DO in Basque. It shares the Alava province with the DOCa Rioja Alavesa, which produces wines for the Rioja region. DO Bizkaiko Txakolina, located in the Vizcaya province, was established in 1994, which was an incredible feat due to the losses they endured during the phylloxera plague. Meanwhile, DO Getariako Txakolina is the oldest DO, having been established in 1989 in the Guipúzcoa province.
