2023 · Itsasmendi

Bodegas Itsasmendi is a Txakoli producer in Gernika, at the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve in Bizkaia, Basque Country. Founded in 1994 by a group of winegrowers, it combines sustainable viticulture with an innovative, environmentally respectful approach. Its vineyards reflect the area’s Atlantic climate and diverse geology and microclimates, while indigenous Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratie provide the foundation for its wines. The winery works with microvinifications, single-parcel and single-vineyard expressions, and experiments with indigenous yeasts. Its portfolio includes Itsasmendi 7, described as the first aged Txakoli in the D.O., and Itsasmendi Urezti, a late-harvest wine made from dried grapes and recognized by Slow Food Bizkaia as an artisanal product. The winery’s living-building concept and R&D facilities reinforce its restless spirit of experimentation and connection to the territory.