Txakoli is not a grape variety, but a type of wine made in the Basque region of North East Spain in the general area of San Sebastian. There are a few variations on the theme but this week's wine comes from one of the smallest DO areas in Spain, Gipuzkoa, and that includes a few towns, of which Getaria is one, so the DO is Getariako and its wine is a Txakolina.
Lots of complicated names, but we have ended up with:
Week T (2015) Alaia Txakoli. Getariako Txakolina DO 2013. M&S £11.99.
The grape used has another exotic sounding name; Hondarrabi Zuri. I have encountered a few different spellings of the grape's name, but this is the one chosen by the producer, Amesguren, so I'll settle on that.
It is another wine from the impressive range at the local M&S which continues to support my voyage of discovery. I'll try to catch them out sooner or later but so far they are proving tough competition.
In the area where this wine is made there is a flamboyant habit of pouring the wine into a tall tumbler from a height. I imagine this is because it has a natural sprtiz (gentle fizz / petillance) and when it hits the glass it makes an attractive mousse (if you are a wine drinker, head if you are more of a beer bibber) which gives it something of a party image.
It is a light, lively wine, relatively low in alcohol and makes a great aperitif. It is pale, slightly sparkling, smells of apples, pears and grapefruit, and tastes the same.
It is not unlike a white Portuguese Vinho Verde and this is not a bad thing. The Basque region from which it comes has around three times the minimum rainfall required for grapes (at ~1500mm per year) which is approximately the same as Northern Portugal, so the comparison may partly explained by this, even if the varieties concerned are completely different.
I think that next time I try this I will also attempt the high-altitude serving technique at some suitable event, which would probably benefit from some warm summer sun.
Lots of complicated names, but we have ended up with:
Week T (2015) Alaia Txakoli. Getariako Txakolina DO 2013. M&S £11.99.The grape used has another exotic sounding name; Hondarrabi Zuri. I have encountered a few different spellings of the grape's name, but this is the one chosen by the producer, Amesguren, so I'll settle on that.
It is another wine from the impressive range at the local M&S which continues to support my voyage of discovery. I'll try to catch them out sooner or later but so far they are proving tough competition.
In the area where this wine is made there is a flamboyant habit of pouring the wine into a tall tumbler from a height. I imagine this is because it has a natural sprtiz (gentle fizz / petillance) and when it hits the glass it makes an attractive mousse (if you are a wine drinker, head if you are more of a beer bibber) which gives it something of a party image.
It is a light, lively wine, relatively low in alcohol and makes a great aperitif. It is pale, slightly sparkling, smells of apples, pears and grapefruit, and tastes the same.
It is not unlike a white Portuguese Vinho Verde and this is not a bad thing. The Basque region from which it comes has around three times the minimum rainfall required for grapes (at ~1500mm per year) which is approximately the same as Northern Portugal, so the comparison may partly explained by this, even if the varieties concerned are completely different.
I think that next time I try this I will also attempt the high-altitude serving technique at some suitable event, which would probably benefit from some warm summer sun.
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