Bodega Txakoli Basa Lore — Attraction in Zarautz

A classic example of a small provider of beautiful Txakoli wine from the Getaria (DO) region. The winery was founded in the 1930's and has produced txakoli for several generations. It has its own vineyards, and since 1989, it has been incorporating equipment and modern machinery to produce a txakoli of excellent quality.

Its txakoli has a delicate white fruit perfume, is balanced, and offers a pleasant fresh finish. Because it is from the Getaria DO, it has a fizz to it when poured a foot above the glass and a pleasant saltiness which goes great with Spanish cuisine. The salt is actually incorporated into the skin of the grape as the daily fog drifts over the vineyard with the Atlantic Ocean only a mile away.

Basa-Lore is Basque for "Forest Flower". The wine has fresh green tones, the fine bubbling that it gives off when it falls in the glass reminds us of the sound of the wind when it hits the leaves of the trees. Refreshing in the front palate, it explodes in the mid-palate and supports a long finish owing to the hint of salt.

Marketing Manager, Jon Oliden, provided an extensive tour of the vineyard, the village and ocean views from the hillsides and a wonderful discussion about the novelty of the grape varietal and the method of growing/harvesting. Inside the production facility, we sampled from the barrels and bottle. We tasted two white Txakoli and a red (blush) one. All were very pleasing. Jon, himself, prepared local products of sardines, fresh caught tuna, and a tiramisu for taste pairings with the wines.

Do yourself a huge favor and contact Jon Oliden for a visit through their website. Highly...

After reading some reviews I got in touch with Jon through whatsapp and he kindly responded to any questions. Me and my parents joined 5 spanish tourists on a tour. This place is not too big so we could just walk into the vines where we got a good explanation of the local conditions. Inside we drank wine straight from the tank.

The tour is really good value for money. I've compared prices and nearby bodegas often charge more. You get to taste three prime wines and eat several delicious snacks that are paired well- and any wine left in the bottles is there to be consumed. And homemade tiramisu to finish :D

Because of its southern hillside location I feel the taste is better than other txakolis I've tasted. And the prices for bottles are really very good value! I recommend the crianza. The rosado was surprisingly good too - don't let the colour deceive you! The tour includes a visit to a viewpoint with a commanding view of zarautz.

One point to improve: it seems mostly aimed at people coming by car at the moment. For those walking or cycling a route description from town would be helpful + time indication. It was a little further than we expected.

Thanks for a great tour, your personal attention and tips about where to...

We had an amazing time at Basa Lore! I attended a wine tour and tasting with a group of 4 people. Our tour guide, Jon, was very knowledgeable and kind! He gave us an explanation of the grapes and the history of the winery. We then did a tasting from the barrels and the bottle of the Taxakoli! The wine was refreshing and delicious. Jon also provided us with samples of sardines and fresh caught tuna which accompanied the wine perfectly!

Lastly we tried the blush wine which Jon paired with a homemade tiramisu which was beyond phenomenal! As we wrapped up our tour, it began to rain heavily and Jon suggested that we take the train back to San Sebastian instead of taking a cab as it would save us money. He then went above and beyond by driving us to the train station!

Jon was a perfect host and I would recommend the tour to anyone wanting to learn more about this delicious wine which comes from grapes that can only be found in this region. I rate this tour and experience a 10 out of 10. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime...