Txakoli White Wine Vinegar

Txakoli (pronounced tchuh-KOH-lee) wine is one of my favorites. It’s enjoyed young, has a bright, fresh flavor with small hints of apricot and a dry finish. It’s hard to find outside of Spain’s Basque region, probably because they drink most of it. It’s rarely made into vinegar, so this bottle is about as common as an albino rhinoceros. 

 

The winemakers (and vinegar makers) at Talai Berri winery in Zarautz, nestled on the seaside of Spain's northern coast, start with a fresh, young Txakoli wine made from hondarribi zuri grapes, the local white grape used for nearly all Txakoli winemaking. They use a traditional method called Shützenbach to slowly convert the wine into vinegar. The resulting vinegar, which they call Ttantta, has a flavor that is light, lovely, lingering. It has a delicately floral aroma. It’s not sweet, and there’s an airiness to it that makes it refreshing. 

 

It’s very nice on simple salads of most any sort. Exceptional with seafood. Use it to deglaze a pan after you sauté fish in it. It's also super on sardines—open a tin, sprinkle on a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and then some of the Txakoli vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes and eat. Soak up any leftover liquid with bread.