🍇 Hondarrabi Zuri

Hondarrabi Zuri is a white grape from the Basque Country. The name is Basque: "zuri" means "white". In the variety catalogue its origin is listed as France, but it is best known in the Spanish Basque areas, where it is made into txakoli wine. It is the main grape of txakoli.

Txakoli is a light white wine with high acidity, low alcohol and a light spritz. It is often poured from a height into a wide glass so the wine froths and opens its aroma. Three designations are distinguished: Getariako (Getaria), Bizkaiko (Bizkaia) and Arabako (Álava). The vineyards grow on slopes near the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

Wine from Hondarrabi Zuri smells of green apple, citrus and freshly cut grass. It is drunk young and chilled, with seafood and fish. The cool, damp ocean climate suits this grape well. In this way txakoli has become a symbol of Basque cooking and Basque bars. The grape shows how a region can express itself through a single variety.