Long before wine, the manufacture of cider was well-documented in the history of the Pays Basque, both north and south of the Pyrenees . It is scarcely surprising that this tradition still continues today.
"Txotx", is the period during which the new cider is tasted.
This is especially a time for celebration in any of the seventy or so cider-making companies of Navarre or Guipuzcoa where they are almost all centred around Astigarraga, Hernani, Saint-Sébastien and Tolosa.
The festival begins on the Friday preceding the feast of Saint-Sébastien (20 January) and extends to April. During this period, enthusiasts, those merely curious, friends and bons vivants gather around the barrels to take part in the famous "Txotx" ritual.
The "txotx" also the name for the wooden bung used to seal the ring on the cider barrel.
