Talleri Berria Upategia eta Mahastiak (Talleri Berria Winery and Vineyards) is a project in the Erroteta neighborhood of the municipality of Morga, in the heart of Bizkaia, which its three owner partners affirm is “born from the passion that, for centuries, has been transmitted from generation to generation: the production of our wine, txakoli.” They add that “the objective, by maintaining this ancestral tradition with rigor and affection, is to achieve the best wines that will accompany our clients and visitors in their most special moments. With our work, based on enthusiasm and seriousness, we not only want to honor our ancestors, but also bring well-being and happiness to the people who accompany us on this adventure.” They call themselves “the temple of txakoli in Bizkaia”. The winery and its surroundings have a lot of charm.
They planted their first vines in 2009. The winery was built in 2011 under the commission of the 16 members of the cooperative existing at that time, called Bodega Talleri (formerly Txorierriko Upeltegien Elkartea SCOOP). It was the first cooperative of txakoli producers in Bizkaia. The winery was built in an old tile factory from 1930 (in which tiles and bricks were produced with the raw materials from the land itself). The objective was to “create, together, a superior quality product.” As a result of that union and shared work, txakoli Bitxia (jewel in Basque) was born. Talleri in Basque means tile. In fact, the roof of the winery is shaped like a tile to remember its origins. But that cooperative adventure, with an oversized winery, did not last long. After bidding in a bankruptcy process, three of the cooperative's partners (Ricardo Uribe, Iñaki Sagasti and Josu Aurrekoetxea) took over the project in 2019, which they renamed Talleri Berria Upategia eta Mahastiak. They have not had it easy since the pandemic just started the new stage.
They have 18 hectares of their own vineyards on rented land, in different valleys in the area. Its dispersed viticultural situation, with up to 16 vineyards in the municipalities of Lezama, Larrabetzu, Morga and Muxika, is expressly sought after, since in this way they try to minimize meteorological risks (especially hail). Its main variety is Hondarrabi Zuri. They have not worked with herbicides or pesticides for 12 years now, but they do work with fungicides to counteract pests associated with high rainfall. They work with integrated production systems and neutral commercial yeasts. They harvest by hand in 14 kilo perforated boxes, and their grapes pass through a selection table before being destemmed. They say that their txakolis “are made with care and delicacy,” and they also point out that “they represent the place of their origin and are the expression of their land.”
They have five references on the market, which add up to an annual production of about 135,000 bottles. They have also already delved into rosés with Hondarrabi Beltza grapes from the new vineyards with vertical wooden stakes that they have planted next to their winery. Its sales are concentrated in the province of Bizkaia, despite the fact that co-owner Ricardo Uribe, who was the last to enter and the first to leave the old cooperative, affirms that “the great competition from white Riojas at low prices to enter the Restoration drives us to open new foreign markets.” They export 15% of their production. Its main international markets are Cuba and Japan. They also sell their wines through a virtual store hosted on their website.
Their Gure Aberria from the 2022 vintage is, after winning a competition, the current institutional wine of the DO Bizkaiko Txakolina. The sommelier Antonio Casares, from the Leioa Hospitality School, highlighted “the fresh, fruity, floral and long-lasting character of the vintage” after presenting this wine at the end of June last year. It is made with 80% of the hondarrabi zuri variety and 20% of hondarrabi zuri zerratia. Its grapes are born in vineyards located between 200 and 220 meters above sea level, cultivated in shallow, well-drained soils. The name of this txakoli means our homeland. The harvest is manual. After destemming and pressing, alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with temperature control.
Gure Aberria 2022 is straw yellow in color, with a greenish hue and a touch of gold. Shows sharpness and brilliance. Its notes are reminiscent of white fruit (sour apple), citrus (lemon peel) and fennel. With a touch of final bitterness offset by the ripeness of the fruit. It has a good sensation of acidity (with 6.3 grams per liter of total acidity, in tartaric). It expresses itself with freshness despite being the product of an unusually warm and dry vintage. Very varietal and with a certain glyceric expression (the work of three months with the fine lees in stainless steel tanks is evident, with stirring once every two weeks) and a hint of yeast. It makes you salivate. With 13º alcohol. The winery points out that it is a wine of medium aromatic intensity and that "in the mouth it has a slightly sweet entry, with volume and very good structure." Of this vintage, 30,000 bottles were made.
This Morga winery states that this txakoli is “ideal” to accompany appetizers, vegetables, pasta, rice, seafood, fish, white meats and fresh cheeses. The general manager of the winery, Karmele Legarda, likes to pair this txakoli with mild beef, while the winemaker, Jon Aguirre, and co-owner Ricardo Uribe opt for a good Biscayan-style cod. It is also a good ally for Asian proposals such as sushi. They recommend its consumption at a temperature between 8 and 10º C.
Talleri Berria is a project open to wine tourism. This winery states that they are located in “a special place to spend a day of immersion between gastronomy, wine culture and nature.” Surrounded by trees and gentle mountains, it is also a starting point from which to start easy hiking routes accessible to anyone and ideal for families, such as the climb to Bizkargi or Arburu. They are located on the Camino de Santiago and the sworn route, and in the middle of the Biosphere Reserve. They state that “taking care of our environment and maintaining its landscape is essential for us, as is making it known.” For this reason, in their winery they regularly offer tastings, activities in the middle of nature and samples of gastronomy and select restaurants.
