Txakoli d'Alava

Until recently, the wines of Basque Country—known as Txacolina, Txacoli or Chocoli—were prized in this small region of Spain, but little-known outside of it. Most is made from an obscure grape, Hondarrabi Zuri. Eric Asimov explained in the New York Times: “Quite simply, the consumption of Txakolina is an entirely natural and appealing expression of Basque culture. The wine — light, fresh and low in alcohol — goes beautifully with the region’s plentiful seafood, and if winemakers are to be believed, people drink it regularly with meat as well. All the winemakers I spoke with insisted they could sell their entire production in Basque Country. They only parted with a scant few bottles, they said, at the dogged insistence of their American importers.”