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Talai Berri Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

Txakoli is one of the world’s great novelty wines. Produced on the breathtakingly beautiful Basque coast, its winemakers fight the elements — salty sea air, cool temperatures, and Atlantic winds — to make these zippy wines, a fixture in the bars of San Sebastián. Txakoli is a genuinely Basque product, although its geography and reputation have expanded considerably. Getaria, Zarautz and Aia form the historic heart of Getariako Txakolina. Still, the appellation has covered the whole of Gipuzkoa since 2007, while the Basque Country is also home to the Bizkaiko Txakolina and Arabako Txakolina denominations. The pintxo bars and restaurants of San Sebastián, Bilbao, Getxo and Hondarribia remain natural places to drink it. Still, Txakoli is now much easier to find beyond the Basque Country than it once was.

Txakoli is overwhelmingly white, with Hondarrabi Zuri the principal local grape, while smaller quantities of rosé and red are also made; Hondarrabi Beltza is the key red variety (“beltza” means “black” in Euskara, the Basque language). Traditional Getariako Txakolina is fresh and dry, often with a gentle natural spritz, lively acidity, and moderate alcohol. They pair perfectly with the array of tapas and pintxos in Basque bars, especially the salty, vinegary, seafood-based dishes that can be difficult partners for softer wines.

Talai Berri is one of the leading producers of this distinctive wine. The winery sits in the lush hills above Zarautz, surrounded by 12 hectares of its own vineyards. Bixente Eizagirre, the fourth generation of his family involved in winegrowing, was an important promoter of the Getariako Txakolina denomination and founded the purpose-built Talai Berri winery in 1992. Today his daughters, Itziar and Onditz Eizagirre, represent the fifth generation and lead the family winery.

Talai Berri remains a small producer, but its range has developed considerably. Alongside the traditional Talai Berri white are Finca Jakue, a more textural white aged on its lees, a rosé and the striking Talai Berri Beltza red. The family also makes Lamin Ura, an aguardiente de orujo, together with vermouths and vinegars derived from its wines and grapes. Talai Berri’s Txakolis are among the best in the region, and the wines pair perfectly with the fresh, grilled seafood available throughout this gorgeous part of Spain.

Private San Sebastián Food & Wine Tour

Txakoli vineyards near San Sebastián

Stay seven nights in San Sebastián and explore Txakoli vineyards, Rioja wine country, Idiazabal cheesemakers and the French Basque coast with a private chauffeur, returning to the same hotel each evening.

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Author

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With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has written for a wide variety of publications, including The Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers Wine & Spirit, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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