Txakoli: the wine of Bizkaia
This young, fruity wine is one of our favourite ambassadors to the world. You should not go back home without taking a sip
Txakoli is a young white wine made from grapes growing in coastal areas. With moderate alcohol content and balanced acidity levels, it is fresh and aromatic. Although around 95% of this type of wine is white (young or fermented in barrels), some reds and rosés are made too.
The grapes used to make txakoli are Hondarribi Zuri, Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia and Hondarribi Beltza. This white wine is the perfect match for Idiazabal cheese and freshly caught fish. Relish your senses with its fruity notes.
If you are interested in coming closer to the culture of txakoli, we would like to invite you to visit a local winery. You will find more than 50 txakoli winemaking facilities that offer guided tours and tastings. Taste our DO Bizkaiko Txakolina wines and return home with your senses filled with the wonderful flavours and aromas of the authentic wine from Bizkaia.
A taste of Basque cuisine
Culinary Nation's heart
Long ago, the baserritarras (people who live and work on small family-run farms) would make this type of wine for local consumption. In fact, the word ‘txakoli’ comes from ‘etxeko gain’ (just for the house). In the early twentieth century, txakoli had already become deeply rooted in Basque society and culture.
The major transformation underwent by Bilbao in the last years has put Bizkaia on the world map. With its bet on art, design, architecture and gastronomy, the city has become a cultural icon. The transformation has reached wine too. With the establishment of the Designation of Origin Bizkaiko Txakolina (Txakoli from Bizkaia), the quality of txakoli has improved enormously. Nowadays, it is one of Bizkaia’s greatest ambassadors.
Txakoli makes the perfect match for shellfish and fish (e.g. cod), or for Idiazabal or cheese or Carranzana sheep milk cheese. You can drink it standing at a bar, at a wine tasting or with one or two of your favourite pintxos.
Txakoli is a very special wine, associated with Basque identity. It is special because the vineyards stand close to the seashore, and the espalier-trained vines, the slope and the altitude from the hillsides enable the grapes to soak up the sunlight and take advantage of the temperate, wet climate. Additionally, the modern winemaking processes adopted to produce txakoli use new technologies instead of more traditional methods to obtain better wines.
You will find txakoli wineries across Bizkaia, from Encartaciones (the westernmost district) to Durangaldea via Uribe, Urdaibai (Busturialdea), Arratia-Nervión and the Lea-Artibai Valley, on the border with Gipuzkoa. All the local wineries offer tastings where visitors have the chance to enjoy this wonderful wine from Bizkaia and buy a few bottles to bring back home.
