I’d been planning to make ceviche since that and a big helping of tortilla chips seemed like an ideal match, but we ended up having that just a few days before at some friends’ house. This is a wine I’ve had many times before, so I had lots of ideas of what to pair it with. It’s fairly light in body with zingy acidity and a spritzy lift. ![]() The palate was similar but with notes of green pear, white peach, and key lime joining in. On the nose, there were aromas of lime skin, grapefruit, fresh white flowers, and stones. It’s been gaining in popularity in the US since the early 2000s, and I am certainly happy to emulate the Basque in this respect. It’s drunk in large quantities at pintxo bars where it’s often poured out of a porrón, a traditional glass pitcher that helps to enhance the fizz. The majority is clearly enjoyed in exactly this way since most of it never leaves the Basque region. When you add in the hint of spritz you’ll find in the wines, you’re sure to find yourself picturing a day at the beach. Getariako Txakolina’s wines are meant to be drunk young and tend to be full of citrus flavors, hints of herbs, and lots of minerality. (As prone as I might be to doing so!) Just like with the word Txakoli, you'll also find a million and one different spellings for the grape's name – just go with it. However, Hondarabbi Zuri makes such a lighthearted wine that seems a little silly to get too far into the technicalities. Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, Izkiriota / Gros Manseng, Izkiriota Ttippia /Petit Manseng, Riesling, and Chardonnay are all also permitted but are planted in small quantities.Īs is the case with many old varieties, the origins of Hondarabbi Zuri are still a matter of debate, and it might actually be the case that the name is used for three completely different grapes in the region: Courbu Blanc, Crouchen, and Noah. The grapes are named for the nearby town of Hondarribia, and zuri and beltza mean “white” and “black” respectively. Despite having similar names, the grapes aren’t related in any way. Their principal white grape Hondarrabi Zuri accounts for 95% of plantings, and red Hondarrabi Beltza is also planted, mostly for use in rosé wines. The Basque are known for being fiercely independent and keeping with that reputation, they’ve stuck with the region’s indigenous grapes. ![]() The hills shield the vines from some of the weather, creating milder micro-climates. The Atlantic Ocean brings rain and has a cooling effect, but the majority of the vineyards are located on the southeast-facing slopes of the foothills of the Pyrenees. (It’s worth mentioning that Rioja’s Alavesa subregion is also in Basque Country, but that’s a different discussion.) All three DOs are quite small – among the smallest in Spain. The are three DOs: Arabako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina, and Getariako Txakolina. The area isn’t really known for its wines, but as I said, they’re lovely and so easy to drink. The region is on the Atlantic’s Bay of Biscay near the Pyrenees Mountains, with the Cantabrian Mountains to the west. The Basque Country, or el País Vasco, is located in northeastern Spain, near the border with France. They also tend to be low in alcohol – between 9.5% and 11.5% – making it perfect to enjoy on chill summer days without worries of getting too zonked out, often an unfortunate side-effect of day drinking. The wines don’t tend to be super complex, but it’s light, often sprtizy, refreshing, and all-around delightful. Txakolina, aka Txakoli (pronounced "Chock-o-lee,” and also spelled Chacoli, Txacoli or Chakoli), is the wine of the Basque Country. They’re among my favorite summertime wines. In the meantime, I can bring the dream home in the form of bottles of Txakolina, which I do fairly on the regular during the warm weather months. It was all the more disappointing since I also love the wines from the Basque Country and would’ve loved to explore the area. ![]() I mean who doesn’t want to go lounge on a beach in a gorgeous Spanish resort town that’s famed for having a galaxy of Michellin Stars?! So jealous! I’m hoping we’ll be able to rectify the error in the future. It was a HUGE bummer that we couldn’t swing getting away at the time to join them for a bit. A couple of summers ago, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law rented a house in San Sebastián for a month.
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