Spanish Txakoli is so edgy it’s like putting your palate through a pencil sharpener

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Spanish Txakoli is a top contender for the sharpest white wine in the world… A wine so edgy it’s like putting your palate through a pencil sharpener

By Olly Smith Event for The Mail on Sunday

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I was enjoying the wine and food pairings at one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, Asador Etxebarri in Basque country, when I wondered: what’s the sharpest white wine in the world?

The local white, Txakoli (pronounced ‘chack-oh-lee’), is a top contender, a wine so edgy it’s like putting your palate through a pencil sharpener.

The flavours are electric. Imagine a frozen lime wedge splitting a salt crystal and you get the idea of this wine’s intense definition

Sounds terrifying? Maybe. But if you’re eating the local pintxos (small snacks), it’s wonderful. I love Txakoli alongside marinated anchovies and for easy sipping its tidy alcohol level of about 11% is spot-on. 

The flavours are electric. Imagine a frozen lime wedge splitting a salt crystal and you get the idea of this wine’s intense definition. Hondarrabi Zuri is the grape behind this excellence and it’s perfect to polish your palate. Txakoli is the ultimate sharpener.