SPAIN

BODEGA PIRINEOS, DO SOMONTANO

Bodega Pirineos is part of the Somontano D.O. in Huesca. The Somontano area provides the best possible natural environment  for the cultivation of quality grapes. The Bodega is located in Barbastro, on the way to the medieval town of Alquezar. The terraced vineyards blend in with the architectural setting, while at the same time reflecting the viticultural history of the region. The buildings that date from the 1960’s and were home to the to the old Somontano Co-operative, now operate side by side with more functional ones, equipped with the latest technology.

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LA CALANDRIA – GARNACHA PURA, DO NAVARRA

La Calandria was started in 2008 by three friends who “believe life is too short to drink bad wine”. But that is only one of the reasons which motivated them to embark on the quest for the old plots of vines in Navarra, planted solely to bush vine Garnacha. In the region, where Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate the mainstream industrial wine production, these old, low yielding vines are seen as unprofitable relics of the past, which are systematically uprooted.

TANTAKA WINES, JUANJO TELLAETXE, DO ARABAKO – TXACOLINA (ARRASTARIA – ALAVA)

Tantaka Wines was created by Juanjo Tellaetxe in his native Artomaña, Valle de Arrastaria (northeast of Alava province, Basque Country), as recently as 2017. Pursuing his dream of making an honest and characterful Txacoli, which stands out in the crowd of commercial wines, Juanjo has started his project with 5 hectares of family vineyards, planted with native varieties: Hondarrabi Zuri, Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia (Petit Corbou) – for white wines and Hondarrabi Beltza for the red.
As the vineyards always belonged to the family and were never used for commercial production, they are virtually pesticide free and Juanjo intends to keep it that way. Farming is organic and a lot of care goes into working alongside the nature, not against it. We always felt that txakoli can be so much more than just a spritzy “palate cleanser” and Tantaka wines are prove of this! Textural, vintage expressive, vinous and engaging – exactly the kind of wines we find exciting.

TXOMIN ETXANIZ, DO  GERIATRICO TXACOLINA (EUSKADI)

Txomin Etxaniz, located in the heart of Getaria, has maintained its dedication to cultivating vines and making txakoli for generations. Back in 1649, the Gipuzkoa Protocol Archives mention Domingo’s de Etxaniz involvement in growing the vines in Getaria. Centuries later, the estate has led the way in modernizing the wine production and campaigning for the recognition and creation of Denomination of Origin Getariako Txakolina (1989). Txomin Etxaniz has 35 hectares of protected, sloped vineyards in Getaria, where they grow two native grapes: Hondarrabi Zuri (90%) and Hondarrabi Beltza (10%), which are harvested at the start of October and made into Txakoli the following winter.