El Pais Vasco (officially La Comunidad Autonoma del País Vasco) is a fiercely independent region on the northern coast of Spain, near the Pyrenees and the border with France. In Basque, the region is called Euskadi, but to most English speakers it is referred to as the Basque Country.
The Cantabrian Mountains form its western boundary, while the famous wine region of La RiojaLies to the South. Despite this, the region is not Particularly well known for its wine, although a group of determined producers have Long fought for recognition.
In fact, it is the historic port city of Bilbao (home to the Guggenheim Museum) and the beautiful seaside resort of San Sebastian that attract visitors to the region.
Pais Vasco wine is synonymous with Txakoli (pronounced "Chac-o-lee"), a style of wine that is an integral part of the region's wine culture and traditions. This wine is direct and simple. It has a refreshing style with fruit-dominated characters, and can have a Slight fizz and high Acidity.
Onwards, upwards. The roads get narrower, the corners get tighter. I step out of the car when I finally reach the winery and the air is so much fresher here. I go to take a sip from my water bottle and a gust of wind makes it whistle. I stand with Thomas Jullien and we look over the vineyards. It’s not yet spring, and the vines look little more than sticks. ‘It’s a lunar landscape at the moment,’ he says, as a friend’s flock of 300 sheep has just passed through to graze on every scrap of green b ...
Christmas, famously, is not about religion any more. But as a Decanter reader, you’ll also know that it’s not about giving, family or food either. No, it’s about drink. The one time of year when we get to open the good stuff without anyone questioning what we’re doing. And of course, there’s no shortage of advice as to what form those bottles should take. Every year, hacks in newspapers, magazines and websites tell us how to make the big day go with a bang. But these don’t correspond with the re ...
Franciacorta producers have reported sales up by 28.3% last year, compared to 2020, when sales fell by nearly 10% to 15.8 million bottles. Sales of 20.3m bottles in 2021 were also higher than the pre-pandemic total of 17.6m bottles in 2019, according to the Franciacorta Consortium. It declined to disclose the value of sales, but there is optimism among winemakers that more consumers are discovering these traditional-method sparkling wines from Brescia in Lombardy. Arturo Ziliani, CEO of Berlucch ...