Txakoli is a wine with character and quite distinct from others. It can be compared with other so-called 'green’ wines, now found in just a few parts of Europe.

The designations of origin for txakoli allow a diverse variety of grapes to be used, but one, Hondarribi Zuri, is more prevalent than others, followed by its red version Hondarribi Beltzand to a lesser extent Petit Manseng, Petit Courbu, Chardonnay and others.

There are several theories as to howand whenwinemaking reached the Cantabrian coast. Numerous writers date the beginning of winemaking to medieval times, at least in some parts of the region, owing to the Kingdom of Navarre’s support for the Camino de Santiago, the first European route traversed by thousands and thousands of pilgrims.

They say that monks from France brought and planted the vines on the Camino de las estrellas (Path to the stars) in order to make txakoli. What started out as a labour of self-sufficiency gradually led to the production of a better-quality wine, particularly in more suitable zones.

That said, there are theories to suit all tastes.