Txakoli was a rarity in America just about 20 years ago. Before that, it was a homegrown acidic wine served in Basque Country backyards and local bars, where it's still poured at arm's length into soda glasses. The coastal region in northeastern Spain became much more popular after the official designation of DO Getariako Txakolina in 1989. Since then, Hondarrabi white (zuri) and Hondarrabi red (beltza) grapes have been vinified into world-class white, red, and rosé wines readily available at better wine shops. In the future, look out for other Basque wines like Bizkaiko Txakolina, Txakoli de Álava, and even local Vermut. Many Basque people on both sides of the Spanish and French borders consider themselves independent of those respective countries, so there are alternate names for grapes, such as Chacolí from Cantabria or Courbu Blanc from Gascony. It's all a bit complex at first but becomes more apparent after a few glasses of cool, sparkly Txakolina.
