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STAGE 2 VITORIA-GASTEIZ finishing in SAINT-SÉBASTIEN 209 KM, a hilly stage. THE WINE Today the race left from Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Autonomous Basque Region. Along this stage we will explore the quintessential wine of the Basque region, Txakolina (Chock-oh-LEE-nah). The wines of the region are born of vineyards between the sea and mountains. On the race route we have seen vineyards at various places, with a lovely picture at the 100 km mark of the race. The Basque region is hot and humid with the wind blowing off the sea, keeping grapes ripe with acidity. The grapes grown and used to produce Txakolina are native to the Basque region: Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza, but Bordeleza Zuria (Folle Blanche), Izkiriota Ttipia (Petit Manseng) and Izkiriota (Gros Manseng) are also permitted. 90% of the wines are white wines, with the remainder rosé and a bit of red wine. The white wines produced for Txakolina are light, racy, slightly effervescent delicious wines that pair wonderfully with the local fare: seafood, rustic stews, and Pintxo (tapas) of all sorts.  Pintxo in San Sebastian. by Lisa Kolick I am lucky to have had the pleasure of experiencing Txakolina in Donostia-San Sebastian, with Pintxo (tapas). This 2021 Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina (Chock-oh-LEE-nah) for Stage 2, reminds me of pintxo of mussels or fresh anchovy and tuna. This is a wine of designated origin, DO-DO Getariako Txakolina. There are 2 other DOs in the Basque region: DO Bizkaiko Txakolina and DO Arabako Txakolina. These are wines of place. Txakolina is slightly effervescent, the best way to pour this wine is to hold the bottle high above the glass and pour. This aerates the wine and the bubbles release the aromas.  Pouring Txakolina wine. by Lisa Kolick Bubbly aromas of lemon and sweet herbal; with racy acidity and effervescence being the first things I notice with my first sip. Perfect for race day, lemon citrus fills my mouth, as the flavors dissipate on my mid-palate, I am left with mouthwatering acidity. This is a straightforward wine that is delicious with all of the food in the Basque region, but also with the oysters and seafood of the Pacific Northwest of the US. Check out this article by NY Times wine writer, Eric Asimov, Txakolina, a Simple Pleasure With a Deep Sense of Place. THE RACE Stage 2 of the 2023 Tour de France starts with only 174 riders, as Richard Carapaz, Team EF Education EasyPost, and Enric Mas, Team Movistar did not start. Both were injured in the last 20 km of Stage 1. Carapaz powered through to the finish with a fractured knee cap and a wound needing stitches. VITORIA-GASTEIZ finishing in SAINT-SÉBASTIEN 209 KM, is a hilly, technical stage, similar to Stage 1. Click here for a race summary of the longest stage in the 2023 Tour de France. The race was very fast. Early in the stage the peloton was averaging over 50 Kph. Three riders lead a breakaway early on and kept their lead until the last 20 km. Pogacar won the bonus point atop the Jaizkibel before Vingegaard while Simon Yates went over in third position. Then, the race was on to the finish. Teams raced off the descent for the sprint to the finish. LaFay made a massive acceleration in the last 1000km to take the lead and win the stage. Standings at end of day: Stage Winner:Victor LaFay, Team Cofidis Yellow Jersey (overall race leader): Adam Yates, Team UAE Green Jersey (sprint leader by points): Victor LaFay, Team Cofidis Polka Dot Jersey (king of the mountains by points): Neilson Powless, Team EF Education EasyPost White Jersey (best young rider by points): Tadje Pogacar, Team UAE Team: Jumbo-Visma Most Aggressive Rider of the Day: Neilson Powless, Team EF Education EasyPost STAGE 3 The first 2 days of this year’s Tour were some of the toughest in the history of the race. Tomorrow is a somewhat flatter stage: AMOREBIETA-ETXANO > BAYONNE, 185 KM, as we head into France. This stage should help the sprinters who have been hauling themselves over many difficult “hills”, which are not their terrain of choice. We are still drinking Txakolina as we go into the French Basque region of Southwest France. Santé  Tour de France, Stage 3 graphic, by LeTour Comments are closed.
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