Etxeita is our red wine, a fantastic Rioja Alavesa that has become essential in the bars and tables of SAGARDI. Now that we are in harvest time is a good time to talk to Teo Etxeita, the producer and friend behind this small family winery and who for many years has been producing this magnificent wine for SAGARDI.
Teo and his sister Merche, along with the rest of the family, are in charge of this small family winery located in Navaridas, in the province of Álava. They are about 15 hectares dedicated to the vine with 100% grapes grown on their farms in Navaridas and Laguardia. They produce two sensational wines, cared for with affection and dedication, el Etxeita Joven (Tempranillo) and El de Debajo de la Escalera (Tempranillo and Graciano).
They are Natural wines. Wines made with minimum intervention in both the vineyard and the cellar without the addition of natural or artificial chemicals except for small quantities of sulphites at bottling. The grapes are hand-picked and the wines are unfiltered.
This year the harvest has advanced, says Teo, “because an adverse weather and a frost.” An advanced vintage and a “short crop, very atypical”. “The few vegetation has helped the clusters that have given rise to a very fruity grape,” explains Teo.
The result is “younger, more cheerful wines”. Fruity, tasty and balanced, ideal for our tradictional Basque cuisine. A wine that is a faithful reflection of the land in which it was born.
So you know, be prepared to enjoy a singular harvest.