According to the DO Getariako Txakolina (in the Basque language, otherwise Txakoli de Getaria), the first bylaws of Spain’s northerly Basque province of Gipuzkoa were drawn up in 1397 to include item 18: Anyone destroying the local vines could be sentenced to death.
It is a pointer – admittedly somewhat extreme – to the historical importance of Txakoli in the Euskal Herria, or País Vasco in Castilian Spanish (Basque Country in English).
There is written evidence of viticulture in this region as far back as the 9th century, and wine production continued to flourish for centuries.
The loss of vineyards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (due to the damaging impacts of the phylloxera bug and mildew in the vineyards, and economic and social factors including urban growth leading to depopulation) has been well documented, as have the recuperation efforts that were undertaken in the 1990s.
Now, after several decades of replanting, investment and innovation, is Txakoli heading towards a renaissance?
Scroll down to see notes and scores of Willard’s Txakoli picks
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"}
Willard’s pick: 20 top Txakoli wines to try
{}
{"wineId":"90725","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90726","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90727","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90728","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90729","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90730","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90731","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90732","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90733","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90734","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90735","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90736","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90737","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90738","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90739","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90740","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90741","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90742","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90743","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"90744","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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