Txakoli Gurrutxaga

Txakoli Gurrutxaga... no it doesn't mean you've had too much to drink if you cannot pronounce this wine. It simply means that it is Basque. With the only language in Continental Western Europe that did not branch off from the Proto Indo-European tongue( a strange fract that Atlantean conspiracists take to mean that Basques are the survivors of the wreckage of ancient Atlantis) Basques are known for their Gehry designed Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, separatists, and a dish of garlicky, baby eels the width of bucantini. According to the Woodland Hills Wine Company( great wine shop by the way) Twitter feed this wine is made from 30% Hondarribi Zuri, 30% Hondarribi Beltza, 20% Mune Mahatsa and 20% Txori Mahatsa.

As with the Basque language, these grapes are completely alien to me. Also according to the Woodland Hills Wine Co, this wine is produced in a small run of 1000 cases having been fermented in steel tanks.

I liked this wine. Light-medium bodied with hints of grapefruit, honeysuckle, and sweet tarts it also carried a great mineral flavor that you find in tradition packed European wines. That mineral kick would make it ideal for pairing with oysters or any briny shell fish.

This was a really great drinking wine, low in alcohol, and a lot of the Brown Bag Team members really enjoyed it.

There's only one problem: it is over our price point. You see, every group needs a rebel, and the elite Brown Bag Sommeliers are no different. Our rebel is Aaron. He has a great sense for great wine. He knows what he likes, and he has introduced me to wines I would never have bought.

For example, one blazing LA Summer our power went out for days and compromised Aaron's wine fridge. He was concerned that the bottles he was keeping in a temperature controlled environment had been ruined and the only way to be sure was to open and drink all of them.

Christine and I had the good fortune of being wine guinea pigs ( we always volunteer).

I suppose it's good to throw 17 dollar wines into the mix to make sure our palate isn't just rotting from a steady schedule of Night Train.

RATING: 3.2 Screwcaps - minus 2 screwcaps for flagrant price point violation
LABEL: Txakoli Gurrutxaga
GRAPE: Blend of Hondarribi Zuri, Hondarribi Beltza, Mune Mahatsa and Txori Mahatsa
PRICE: $17.99