Getariako Txakolina
| Wine region | |
Txakoli de Getaria - Getariako Txakolina DO in the province of Gipuzkoa in the region of Basque Country
|
|
| Official name | D.O. Txakoli de Getaria - Getariako Txakolina |
|---|---|
| Type | Denominación de Origen |
| Country | Spain |
Txakoli de Getaria - Getariako Txakolina is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Jatorrizko Deitura in Basque) for wines, located around the towns of Getaria and Zarautz, small fishing towns on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, in the province of Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. A small amount of grapes are also grown around the town of Aia.
Txacolí is a thin white acidic wine that can be naturally fizzy and is traditionally served like cider, poured from a height into the glass.
The Denominación de Origen Txacolí de Getaria was created in 1990 and covers around 200 hectares of vineyards, down from over 1,000 hectares at the turn of the 20th century. However, wine had traditionally been made in this manner for hundreds of years and was popular from the Middle Ages up to the end of the 19th Century, when the vines were devastated by phylloxera and the effects of industrialization of the Basque Country. There are now 17 wineries (bodegas) registered with the DO.
The DO area is protected from the cold northerly winds by the coastal hills, and enjoys a relatively mild climate, with an average annual temperature of 13.5°C, and moderate sunlight hours. Hail is a serious risk for the grapes. The rainfall of 1,600 mm/yr is the highest of all the Spanish wine regions.
Two varieties of grapes are used to make Txacolí de Getaria: Hondarrabi Zuri, a white grape, representing 95% of the grapes planted, and Hondarrabi Beltza, a red grape, representing 5%. Most of the vines are over 80 years old with roots of up to 10 m deep. The vines being so old, it is possible to lift them off the ground and lay them on stoneware pillars, as is done in Galicia, so that the branches and shoots protect the fruit hanging underneath from the elements.
Due to the high rainfall, production is similar to that of Germany or northern France. The phylloxera virus never affected this region, in contrast to the rest of Europe, because the water that accumulates around the roots prevents the virus from attacking (Citation needed). The vines are thus not grafted onto American but on native Vitis vinifera. The harvest normally starts at the beginning of October.
...
Wikipedia