Gourmet Tour - Txakoli Winery & Basque Gastronomy

OVERVIEW

Tour a winery known for producing premium Txakoli wine and then dine on traditional Basque cuisine in a 19th-century country house that has been converted into a restaurant. Txakoli is a slightly fizzy wine made from the native Hondarribi grape that flourishes in the Basque terroir. Most Txakoli is white wine, but there are red varieties. As you will discover during the tasting, this delicate wine is typically poured into flat-bottomed glasses from a height of no more than eight inches to preserve its natural effervescence. Continuing on, you will pause for photos of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, an islet so visually dramatic that it was chosen as a location for the HBO series Game of Thrones. You will dine in "Puente Colgante" Restaurant. Basque cuisine is based on high quality products with good raw materials. Fresh fish and shellfish from the Cantabrian Sea, legumes, vegetables from their gardens and meat from their livestock are the main ingredients in their gastronomy culture. A traditional recipes that are passed from generation to generation and the passion of the Basques for their local products. Therefore, on this tour we will be able to taste the cuisine of the popular Chef Zuriñe García, trained at the Galdakao Hospitality School and nowadays the Chef in charge of Puente Colgante Restaurante. In her early years, this strong woman was trained in each of the kitchen games, soaking up all the knowledge while she expanded her academic training. With a lot of work and effort, in 2004, her passion for the great product of Basque cuisine, fish, was rewarded and she became the Head of the Fish Department. But in 2010 was the turning point in her career, Zuriñe García would become one of the few female haute cuisine restaurant chefs in charge of a Michelin Star restaurant.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour a winery and sample Txakoli wine made from the most prominent Basque country grape.
• Admire the spectacular view of the isletSan Juan de Gaztelugatxe from an elevated lookout.
• Dine on traditional Basque cuisine at Puente Colgante Hotel.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.