I recently attended the Wines from Spain trade show held at the Metropolitan Pavillion in Manhattan, where I had the opportunity to taste a wide range of Spanish wines. There were quite a few Rias Baixas wines, about which I have previously written, so it seems that this wine may be among the new trends and, thus, finding more opportunities in the U.S. consumer market.

Among the other whites I tasted is a wine from the DO (Denomination of Origin / Vinos de Denominación de Origen)* of Bizkaiko Txakolina. I admit that the name looks quite daunting, but this region, found within the northwestern Basque Country of Spain, is producing some lovely wines.

The wine in question was made from an indigenous grape called Hondarrabi Zuri (the red variety is known as Hondarrabi Beltza) and the producer is Itsas Mendi. I was advised by the distributor (Winebow) that enologist Ana Martin is among the few (only?) female winemakers in the area and is gaining a very favorable reputation for her wines. 

Given the volume of wines tasted that afternoon and the format in which these events are held (dozens of booths, with 5-10 wines at each), I can’t provide specific notes on the wine. However, I do know that I found it to be fresh and fruity, with crisp acidity and was quite impressed. If you are interested in trying this wine for yourself, my quick websearch found it available at Appellation NYC, but you can contact the distributor to find it at a shop or restaurant near you. 

This grape has but the briefest of entries in Jancis Robinson, MW’s Oxford Companion to Wine, noting only that it is a light-berried Basque variety. Accordingly, such a wine is the perfect antidote to mass-produced, international style wines that belie their origin and could come from anywhere.

*NB: DO wines are those from a demarcated production area and are governed by a set of regulations, which are designed to ensure quality. This is the Spanish equivalent of France’s Appellation d’Origin Controllee (AOC) legislation. However, Spain also has a "super category" of DO wine regions, labeled as DOCa (Vinos de Denominación de Origen Calificada), which are governed by even more stringent regulations and are deemed to be of the highest quality.  For more information on Spanish wine laws, see the Wines from Spain website.