Gaintza Txakolindegia

Familiako mahastiak, Getariako euripean, Kantauri ertzean

The Art of Bertsolarism: Reality and Keys to Basque Oral Improvisation, written by Joxerra Garzia, Andoni Egaña and Jon Sarasua, defines bertsolarism as discourse executed through song, rhyme and measure.

Bertsos and bertsolaris have been, and will always be, a prominent part of our Basque culture, so there’s no better way to define who we are than through a bertso.

This verse written in Basque says that we are a family cellar in Getaria with vineyards next to the Cantabrian Sea.

Family

The vineyards and cellar are looked after by our small family team. We plant and care for the vines, harvest the grapes, and make and sell the wine.

Gaintza has grown throughout the generations and we have hired qualified staff to ensure our business evolves. The txakoli we produce together year after year has created a special bond between all of us.

Vineyards

Thanks to our location in Getaria, our 25 hectares of vineyards are protected by the hill known as Garate and bathed by the Cantabrian sea air. The climate conditions and our care of the vines together enable us to cultivate an excellent grape which produces a txakoli with character.

We own ancient vines planted in high vineyards as well as new plantations in long trellises, including among them the Hondarribi zuri grape.  This variety surpasses all others, though we also grow others permitted by the Getariako Txakolina Protected Designation of Origin, including Hondarribi Beltz and Chardonnay.

Respect for our land

Our vines have been worked and cared for by four generations, and the result is evident in each bottle.

The most recent generation has suffered from the disproportionate use of phytosanitary products in the vineyards, and they are also environmentally-minded. That’s why they follow this philosophy, from vineyard to bottle:

 

Philosophy

Our aim is to produce wines with an optimal level of phenolic ripeness and which carry citrus flavours, a moderate alcohol content and are a real reflection of the location and the vintage

The environment around us, vines of different ages—from young vines to hundred-year-old plants—and our stewardship of our surroundings by using integrated production together create a true expression of the vineyard’s location. We apply appropriate methods in the vineyard to achieve optimal phenolic ripeness, and we do not cultivate beyond what we believe is sustainable and optimal for our vineyard.

We focus on extracting the few characteristic features of our variety, the hondarribi zuri, and in bringing out the overall effect of these qualities in a young wine.

The txakoli is bottled and carefully sealed with a micro-granulated cork. During their short resting periods, our young wines maintain the qualities we strive for when making them and which are so evident when it comes to enjoying them.

Terroir

The climate, the geological and biological qualities of the soil and the orientation of the vines are the principal determining factors of a winemaking area. In our case, the txakoli terroir is situated in a special location: the Basque Coast.

The high levels of humidity, clay soil and proximity to the sea are three of the characteristic features of the area.

  • The area has characteristic alternating hard and soft layers (limestone and sandstone versus loam and clay rocks), with clay loam and clay soils predominating, normally with a neutral pH. The wet climate permits the development of thick vegetation which protects the soil from erosion and provides organic material for biological activity.
  • Rainfall in Gipuzkoa varies between 1,051 mm and 1,734 mm annually.
  • The proximity to the Cantabrian Sea means the maximum annual temperature variation is 11ºC.