Arabako Txakolina / Txakoli de Álava

Arabako Txakolina sits within Álava Province in the Basque Country Autonomous Community, making it the most inland of the three Txakoli denominaciones. Production is concentrated across five municipalities: Amurrio, Artziniega, Ayala/Aiara, Laudio/Llodio, and Okondo. Vineyards lie at 350-500 meters above sea level, with views toward the Sierra Cantabrica and Sierra Salvada mountain ranges. This elevated, sheltered position sets the region apart from its coastal Txakoli counterparts.

• Five municipalities form the production zone in Álava Province
• Elevation ranges from 350 to 500 meters above sea level
• Inland position creates continental influences absent in coastal Txakoli regions
• Sierra Cantabria and Sierra Salvada define the regional backdrop

The region experiences an Atlantic maritime climate tempered by continental influences. Summers are cool, winters are cold with a genuine frost risk, and humidity and rainfall are consistently high. Temperatures never exceed 20°C (68°F), creating a long, cool growing season. This extended season, compared to the coastal Txakoli zones, allows grapes to develop slightly higher alcohol levels. Spring frosts represent the most serious threat to viticulture. Soils are clayey, gravelly, and sandy with a notable iron content, contributing to the wines' mineral character.

• Atlantic maritime climate with cool summers and cold, frosty winters
• Temperatures never exceed 20°C, supporting naturally high acidity in the wines
• Extended growing season produces wines with slightly higher alcohol than coastal Txakoli
• Iron-rich, clayey-gravelly soils underlie the vineyards

Hondarrabi Zuri is the dominant white variety, supported by Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia and Hondarrabi Beltza for red production. The DO also permits a broad range of international and complementary varieties, including Petit Courbu, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. This relatively open varietal framework reflects the region's experimental spirit as it builds on a recently revived winemaking tradition.

• Hondarrabi Zuri is the primary white grape variety
• Hondarrabi Beltza is used for red wines
• Permitted varieties include Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, and more
• Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir are among the authorized red varieties

Arabako Txakolina produces light, dry, fruity white wines with high acidity and alcohol levels between 9.5% and 12%. A pale yellowish color and slightly frothy texture are characteristic, the latter resulting from the practice of bottling with lees, which triggers a gentle secondary fermentation and leaves residual carbon dioxide in the wine. The style is refreshing and lively. The DO recently approved selling Txakoli in cans and kegs, expanding the appellation's market reach beyond traditional bottles.

• Alcohol ranges from 9.5% to 12%, reflecting the cool, high-acid growing conditions
• Bottled with lees to produce a natural light spritz from residual CO2
• Dry, fruity, and highly acidic; pale yellow with a slightly frothy texture
• Now approved for sale in cans and kegs as well as bottles

Winemaking in this corner of the Basque Country dates to 760 AD, with records showing over 500 hectares under vine in the late 19th century. Phylloxera and other plagues devastated the region, reducing plantings to just 5 hectares by the late 20th century. The Alavesa Association of Artisanal Txakoli Producers, founded in 1988, coordinated the revival effort. Arabako Txakolina was officially granted DO status on April 2, 2001, becoming the youngest of the three recognized Txakoli appellations in the Basque Country.

• Winemaking tradition documented from 760 AD
• Late 19th century peak of over 500 hectares reduced to 5 hectares after phylloxera
• Alavesa Association of Artisanal Txakoli Producers founded in 1988 to drive revival
• DO status officially granted on April 2, 2001