Txakoli wines the star of the show at Euskadi stand at San Sebastian Gastronomika

• The 26th edition of San Sebastián Gastronomika-Euskadi Basque Country opens its doors today with special guest Amaia Barredo, Basque Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries.
• Amaia Barredo: “Initiatives like Gastronomika put the rich gastronomy of the Basque Country on the map, promote sustainability and help maintain the rural and coastal way of life.”
• This year, the Euskadi stand is promoting the txakoli wines of Getaria, Bizkaia and Araba with tastings for visitors to discover these unique white wines.

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This morning saw the opening of the 26th edition of San Sebastián Gastronomika-Euskadi Basque Country, which has cemented its place as one of the most important gastronomic events in the world. Amaia Barredo, Basque Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, was present to highlight the importance of promoting Basque food and drink as an essential part of driving economic development and boosting the primary sector of the Basque Country.

Other guests at the event included Mayor of San Sebastián/Donostia Eneko Goia; President of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Eider Mendoza; CEO of Vocento-Diario Vasco, Iñigo Barrenechea, Iñigo Iribarnegaray and Benjamin Lana. Amaia Barredo discussed a series of sector-related issues with the President of the Provincial Council of Palencia, Ángeles Armisén; enologist Mikel Garaizabal and other exhibitors from the event, which will run until Wednesday.

The Minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister Raúl Perez Iratxeta and by Raimundo Ruiz de Escudero, CEO of HAZI, the Basque Country’s special purpose to promote the sustainability of the food and forestry value, spoke of how “initiatives like Gastronomika allow us to promote the richness of Basque gastronomy, promote sustainability and maintain the rural and coastal way of life.  With that in mind, this year's theme of the Euskadi stand is the txakoli wines of Getaria, Bizkaia and Araba, offering tastings to visitors so they can immerse themselves in the flavours and nuances of these iconic wines.”

Euskadi is home to three different designation of origin wine regions for txakoli: Bizkaiko Txakolina, Getariako Txakolina and Arabako Txakolina, each reflecting the unique characteristics of their geographic area, giving authenticity and diversity to this renowned white wine. These designations allow producers to take advantage of the local conditions to create wines with real personality.

81 wineries

Txakoli wines are produced mainly from the indigenous grape varieties Hondarrabi Zuri, Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia and Hondarrabi Beltza, lending notes of white fruit, herbaceous hints and a floral touch.

At this edition of San Sebastián Gastronomika, the Euskadi stand is offering tastings of more than 40 different txakolis from the 81 wineries across the three designation of origin areas. The tastings are scheduled as follows:

• Monday 7 October: Tasting Bizkaiko Txakolina in four sessions (12:00, 13:00, 16:30 and 17:30).
• Tuesday 8 October: Tasting Getariako Txakolina, also in four sessions (12:00, 13:00, 16:30 and 17:30).
• Wednesday 9 October: Tasting Arabako Txakolina in three sessions (13:00, 16:30 and 16:30).

These tastings allow visitors to explore the richness and diversity of Basque txakoli wines and appreciate the differences and unique characteristics of each of these wines that are so representative of Euskadi.

San Sebastián Gastronomika 2024 brings together leading figures from world gastronomy at the Palacio de Congresos Kursaal, offering a varied programme of presentations, tastings and open activities in the city. This year, the guest country is Portugal, with renowned chefs like José Avillez in attendance. The event also includes a forum for taverns and tavern owners, enriching the experience of visitors and integrating local culture with the international culinary diversity on display.

San Sebastián, Open City, the title of a poem by the Hernani-born poet Gabriel Celaya, is the slogan for this renewal of San Sebastian Gastronomika - Euskadi Basque Country, reinforcing the event's roots in Donostia and Gipuzkoa while opening up to other ways of cooking.