Txakolina (or Txakoli)

Txakolina is a Spanish white wine with a mild effervescence made in the Basque region from a grape called Hondarribi Zuri, although I have seen a blend or two. The "Tx" should be pronounced as a "Ch." The recent you can surely figure out on your own. And if you can't, drinking a glass or two should relieve any concern that you're not.

Until quite recently, I hadn't noticed it much outside of adventurous wine shops and wine bars or on an idiosyncratic wine list. More retailers and restaurants are carrying them these days, and, prices are seem to be tending upward.

Sometimes, price is the price you pay for accessibility.

Fortunately, a great bottle can still be had for less than $20 in a wine shop.

Briny! Tart! Effervescent! What's not to love? An exclamation mark of a wine that will leave you questioning how you ever survived without it. The wine world's equivalent of the Uncola.

Txomin Etxaniz is one producer you bound to run across if you're looking for the stuff. This producer hales from Getariako, one of three regions that made Txakolina, the other two being Arabako and Bizkaiko.

P.S. If you want to see a waste of a great URL, go to http://www.txakolina.com. Fortunately, http://www.txakoli.com is being put to good use.