You've heard me extoll the virtues of Vinho Verde, and the wine I'm going to discuss today is a similarly great summer sipper for hot, sticky days (a rarity in Chicago this summer.)
Txakolina (pronounced "shahkoleena,") is typically a slightly fizzy, super tart, super light, low-alcohol white wine from Spain's Basque country. (As a side note, in the rest of Spain, you may hear people refer to it as Chakoli or Txakoli- you can do this, but if you wanna be on the inside in Basque country, stick with Txakolina.) Like Vinho Verde, it is incredibly thirst quenching on a hot day, is meant to be consumed young, and goes incredibly well with a large variety of foods.
While most Txakolina you're likely to find in the US is white, you may also find a rose or even a red. There are some really unique and tasty rose versions out there- I like the Rubentis from Ameztoi (one of the largest and easiest to find producers from the region, they also make a really yummy white) And though I've never tried one, a few producers are making spicy, interesting, spritzy reds. The exact grape content, it seems, is not very important, though most are unique and native to the region, such as hondarrabi zuri, the main grape in white Txakolina.
The white versions I've tried have been the equivalent of a grown-up lemonade to me- tart, with hints of citrus, lemon-lime, and sometimes just a little bit of a floral thing going on. SO GOOD. They'd be just the thing to have with fresh seafood.
Next time you're invited to hang out by a pool, or are in charge of bringing a little aperitif/appetizer accompaniment, see if you can't find a Txakolina- odds are your friends will be new to it, and they're bound to be impressed.
I shared the Ameztoi- have you tried any Txakolina you'd like to recommend? Share in the comments!
Txakolina (pronounced "shahkoleena,") is typically a slightly fizzy, super tart, super light, low-alcohol white wine from Spain's Basque country. (As a side note, in the rest of Spain, you may hear people refer to it as Chakoli or Txakoli- you can do this, but if you wanna be on the inside in Basque country, stick with Txakolina.) Like Vinho Verde, it is incredibly thirst quenching on a hot day, is meant to be consumed young, and goes incredibly well with a large variety of foods.
While most Txakolina you're likely to find in the US is white, you may also find a rose or even a red. There are some really unique and tasty rose versions out there- I like the Rubentis from Ameztoi (one of the largest and easiest to find producers from the region, they also make a really yummy white) And though I've never tried one, a few producers are making spicy, interesting, spritzy reds. The exact grape content, it seems, is not very important, though most are unique and native to the region, such as hondarrabi zuri, the main grape in white Txakolina.
The white versions I've tried have been the equivalent of a grown-up lemonade to me- tart, with hints of citrus, lemon-lime, and sometimes just a little bit of a floral thing going on. SO GOOD. They'd be just the thing to have with fresh seafood.
Next time you're invited to hang out by a pool, or are in charge of bringing a little aperitif/appetizer accompaniment, see if you can't find a Txakolina- odds are your friends will be new to it, and they're bound to be impressed.
I shared the Ameztoi- have you tried any Txakolina you'd like to recommend? Share in the comments!
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