A few years ago, some very good Japanese friends of ours introduced us to the Basque wine Txakoli over dinner and I was hooked. They had just returned from visiting San Sebastián and highly recommended it for a city break. And then when my wife and I visited for ourselves, we realised why – it’s a charming city on the Bay of Biscay, surrounded by lush green hillsides, with attractive beaches, a delightful old town, and some stunning architecture.
But that’s not all. San Sebastián (Donostia as it is known in Basque) is a top culinary destination, famed not only for its dozen or so Michelin-starred restaurants, but also for its pintxos bars. All around the narrow alleys of the old town, you can try these tasty culinary bites held together by a cocktail stick, or pintxo. And all washed down with the local white wine, Txakoli. What’s not to like?
Made from the indigenous grape varieties Hondarribia Zuri and Hondarribia Beltza, Txakoli is a light, refreshing, zesty, slightly effervescent, dry white wine, perfect for drinking as an aperitif, with pintxos, or the fresh fish and seafood dishes for which the Basque Country is famed.
It’s not always easy to find Txakoli in the UK but I recently saw that Slurp were stocking this Txakoli de Getaria, one of the three Txakoli sub-regions and the closest to San Sebastián, and I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did!
With intense aromas of apple, pear, lemon and grapefruit, and a hint of blossom, the Hiruzta Txakoli Hondarribia 2019 is a delightfully refreshing wine. It is light and zippy, with an attractive effervescence and a hint of sea breeze, a wine which has the taste of summer written all over it.
Relatively low in alcohol, it is a well-balanced wine with a long finish and is a perfect match for seafood. We had it with some home-made pintxos, and it made me want to book the next flight to Northern Spain. If only we could … but at least we can get a bottle of Txakoli!
Available from Slurp. £14.95
