euskalkultura.eus

Tom Mullen. This language includes an abundance of x’s and k’s. Understanding that ‘x’ is pronounced ‘ch’ will help you ask for their indigenous wine—Txakoli. Say ‘CHAK-oh-lee’ and you are about there. (This wine is also sometimes called Txakolina.)

Produced within territory bordered by towering peaks and smashing waves of the Cantabrian Sea (the southern portion of the Bay of Biscay), this wine—like the hardy, somewhat cryptic Basque people (who resisted being conquered even by Roman armies)—is unique. Low in alcohol (11%) and predominantly white, it is for drinking right after being bottled, or within a few years at most.

My first recent sip of this wine was on a sunlit porch near the old port of Getxo, north of Spain's city of Bilbao. The banks of the river Ría del Nervión—the waterway connecting Bilbao to the Atlantic Ocean—were so bloated with cod processing sheds a century ago that this stretch of land was known as ‘little Norway.’ The region is quieter today as you ascend cobbled alleys to the old port village, where you will find some local eatery for sampling Txakoli and shellfish. My Basque friend Ane ordered drinks, then explained differences between local wine types.

Txakoli is produced in Spain within three separate regions(appellations) that form, geographically, three vertices of a right-angled triangle. From around Bilbao to the west comes the wine known as Bizkaiko Txakoli, which is salty, fresh and acidic (excellent with local olives, anchovies and sardines). Closer to San Sebastian to the east comes Getariako Txakoli, with its characteristic fizz, or mild carbonation. Finally, Arabako Txakoli is produced around Amurrio, located a forty-five minute drive inland and south of Bilbao.

Txakoli wine has been produced for centuries. Basque sailors carried this wine, together with cider, on long whale hunting expeditions. These liquids provided enough Vitamin C to stave off scurvy, a sickness that was still a scourge for northern European sailors at the time.

Txakoli can be sharp and distinct.

We sampled the slightly carbonated 2017 Getariako Txakolina from Bodega Aizpurua—a winery that has been in production since 1834.

“This type of Txakoli has its own characteristics. Touch of salinity, fizziness and a greenish, grassy flavor,” said Jon Oliden, Sales and Marketing Manager for Aizpurua, when we later spoke by telephone.

Wines from Aizpurua are produced from 18 acres (7 hectares) of grapes grown over calcareous soils. “We grow white Hondarrabi Zuri and red Hondarrabi Beltza grapes. These grapes are very sensitive to temperature changes, so the perfect location is the Basque country. It's close to the seaside, because it needs to be humid almost all the time. And the soil needs to be soft and very rich in minerals,” Oliden added.

Zuri, Beltza and Zerratia are three Hondarrabi grapes used to produce the bulk of this wine. Beltza is red, and the others white. Other grapes sometimes blended with Txakoli include Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Izkiriota (Petit Manseng).

Aizpurua now sells wine to 25 states in the U.S. and will soon deliver to Texas, whose residents merrily sip whites throughout the year. This could help mitigate their typical winter sales slump.

“Sales are increasing in the U.S.," Oliden said. "I returned from California and New York recently. People like the uniqueness of Txakoli because it’s not like other still white wines. It’s fizzy and has that touch of salinity. When they try it, they’re surprised because it’s so different in taste and color.”

Locals say the best vineyards face the ocean.

“To get the best flavor of Txakoli, the orientation of vines is mostly north facing—literally showered by north winds,” Oliden added.

This year the winery will produce their first rosé, in order to satisfy demand from the American market. “Locally, nobody here drinks Txakoli rosé,” Oliden admitted.

The Bizkaiko appellation is smaller in size than that of Getariako. Unlike Txakoli from Getariako, which is often poured from a raised bottle to reduce levels of carbon dioxide (as well as for show), Bizkaiko wines are not renowned for effervescence. Although wines from this region are sometimes blended with grapes such as Chardonnay or Petit Manseng, these cannot contribute more than 20% of the total volume.

Still seated on the porch, my friend next ordered a rounder, almost honeyed, 2016 Bizkaiko Txakolina wine named Abiozuria from wine producer Bodega Abio. This white is also made primarily from Hondarrabi Zuri, with a small quantity of red Hondarrabi Beltza added. Like other Txakolis, this is best served at between 46 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 10 degrees Celsius) and matched with seafood. Just as Spanish and Portuguese Albariño wines and French Loire Valley Muscadets are best matched with regional shellfish, Txakoli pairs splendidly with local ocean fare.

“We don't make carbonated wines. Our wines are dry, fruity and young,” said winery representative Miren Bikandi of Abio when we later spoke. The winery produces from a total of 29 acres (12 hectares) of vines, and exports to the U.S., U.K., Netherlands and Japan. With the exception of last year, their sales to the U.S. have generally been increasing.

Later that afternoon we moved via boat between Getxo and Bilbao. During our trip friends uncorked more bottles of Txakoli, which went down well in the sunshine.

This April, consider kicking your habit of uncorking the usual suspects—Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or rosé—and instead opening a low-alcohol Txakoli. Next—fill a few porch side glasses, plunge your bottle into an ice bucket, then lay out a spread of crackling seafood and crusty hunks of bread.

It's time to enjoy the tastes of spring.

Tom Mullen is a Forbes contributor and the author of The Winemakers' Cooking Companion. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram or at the Vino Voices blog.