Txakolina is a Basque wine made with indigenous grapes, mainly the white Hondarribi Zurri and the red Hondarribi Beltza. It has regal roots and is available in three denominations of origin, with the most common being Getariako Txakolina, a very acidic and sparkling white wine. The wine is known for pairing well with seafood and is mainly produced in the Basque Country, with the United States being the only other major market.
Txakolina is a wine produced in the Basque Country. It is pronounced choc-o-LEE-na. In Spain, the daunting Basque spelling is often replaced with the more phonetic chacolí. There are many varieties of wine, but the most common characterization is a light, crisp white. The unifying feature of all the varieties is that they are mainly produced with the indigenous grapes of the Basque Country: the white Hondarribi Zurri and the red Hondarribi Beltza.
Wine has regal roots in Basque tradition. It was originally the drink of Basque royalty, kept only for the highest echelons of society. Txakolina was drunk on the occasion of the milestones; when Juan Sebastian del Cano returned to the Basque Country as the first man to circumnavigate the globe, wine was served at his homecoming celebration.
Modern Txakolina is available in three denominations of origin. The most common is Getariako Txakolina, originating from the Getariako or Guetaria region. This is the source of the general conception of wine. It is a very acidic and sparkling white wine. Getariako producers embrace the historical significance of wine. The largest winery, Ameztoi, still prints a portrait of Cano on its labels.
A second appellation is Bizkaiko Txakolina. This region has more variety in its wines – it even produces some reds. The producers and vintners try to recapture the historical character of the wine, which was mainly red until the 19th century. A disease has ravaged the Basque vineyards and growers have started to fill the fields. Basque officials have taken advantage of the turnover to encourage a switch from red to white production to avoid competing with surrounding regions.
Arabako Txakolina is the third denomination. It was founded in 2003 by 12 local winemakers. They blend their Hondarribi Zurri grapes with three French varietals: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu.
White Txakolina dominates the Basque Country, where it is drunk in tapas bars. The wine is known as a good pairing for seafood. The Basques are dedicated to wine, drinking whites also with meats traditionally paired with intense reds.
De Maisons Selections imports the wines into the United States, the only other major market for Txakolina. It mainly imports white varieties, but also imports almost all of the red rosé and Ameztoi produced because the Basques strongly favor white varieties. In 2009, De Maisons imported 111,000 bottles of Basque wine, up from 1,200 bottles in 2001.
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