In the historic heart of Portugalete, in the shadow of the Santa María Basilica and within a Monumental Complex protected since 1996, the GURDIBIDE vineyard takes its name from the ancient road that once linked the port with the town. Planted in 2021 to mark Portugalete’s 700th anniversary, the vineyard now holds more than 230 vines across roughly 1,550 m², predominantly Hondarrabi Zuri alongside traditional Basque varieties and rare specimens of Vitis Silvestris. Since 2023, it has been cared for by Portugaleteko Mahastizainak, a cultural association devoted to reviving the town’s historic txakoli-making tradition.

What makes GURDIBIDE remarkable is how deeply it lives within its community. Through initiatives like the Aldaxka Project, which had residents nurture vine cuttings at home before replanting them together, and the now-annual Community Harvest, where neighbors pick grapes by hand and watch traditional pressing techniques unfold amid music and theatre, the vineyard has become a true gathering point. The association has also led the opening ceremony of Txakolina Fest – Portugalete in both 2025 and 2026, and even written original songs celebrating txakoli, never selling a single bottle, only sharing what the land gives among those who help it grow.

In the Cristo Re district of Monza, the AUTARI vineyard was born from the vision of the Tavecchio ETS Foundation and the generous support of the Meregalli Group, a leading Italian wine distributor rooted in the same city. After five years of devoted daily care, the 2022 harvest yielded the first 492 bottles of AUTARI Barbera, bringing this variety back to Monza after more than 150 years of absence, at 14% alcohol and with a purpose the Foundation defines with beautiful precision: “14 degrees of inclusion.” The wine is not sold. It is offered, received, and shared at public tastings, private gatherings, and corporate events, always in service of the Foundation’s mission to promote the independence and dignity of people with disabilities.

Behind this project stands Alessio Tavecchio, Paralympic swimming champion at the 1996 Atlanta Games, who founded the Tavecchio ETS Foundation in 1998 after a life-changing accident redirected his energy toward others. His Agriparco Solidale “Accolti e Raccolti” is a place where agricultural work becomes a path of emancipation, the name AUTARI honors the ancient Lombard king whose legend is woven into the history of Monza, and every harvest restores a future to those who need it most. With Italy already well represented in our association, it is a particular honor to welcome a vineyard whose roots grow not only in the soil of Lombardy, but in the belief that wine can mean something more.