Basque-ing in the Spotlight
(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of posts by guest authors whose own blogs are under-appreciated/under-visited. If you are new to wine blogging, or host a blog out in the remote reaches of wineblogistan, contact me with a post proposal, and we'll see if we can't deliver more winos to your site.)
Guest Author: Jameson of Le Wine Blog
As an homage to Beau, how could I not start with a groan-inducing, punny title for my post? Beau, I kid because I care! And you are well aware that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Moving on, I had my first ever Basque wine. I believe that this wine would win the ultimate prize for:
Most…Difficult…Hand…Sell… Ever.
I can imagine the conversation in the wine shop:
Innocent Thirsty Customer: “Hi, what can you tell me about this wine?”
Lover of Obscure Wines: “Why, this is the 2005 Arabako
Txakolina Xarmat.”
ITC: “Umm….”
LOOW: “It’s from the Arabako Txakolina DO in the Basque region of Spain.”
ITC: “Umm…”
LOOW: “It’s a blend of Honarribi Zurri, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu.”
ITC: [Head Exploding]
LOOW: “Xarmant means ‘charming’ in French.”
ITC: [Mushroom Cloud Appearing]
LOOW: “Robert Parker gave it 88 points in issue 159 of the Wine Advocate.”
ITC: “Do you offer case discounts?”
Actually, it is a quite charming wine. It has a little C02 spritz to it, low in alcohol, very Gros Manseng-y. It reminds me a bit of a chugger from Gascogny. It would be your ideal porch-sipping, rocking chair-sitting, chilled seafood with lemon plate-holding, summer-tastic wine.
I also would advise that if you want to blog about this wine and this region to shut off your spell-checker, otherwise your computer may explode.
So I am throwing down the gauntlet: Do you know of a wine with a more challenging title than this Basque Wonder?
Basque-ing has an 'e'???...shit!
Posted by: bill | 13 April 2006 at 02:58 PM
For you French speakers, it's "le basque-ing"
C'mon Bill.
Posted by: beau | 14 April 2006 at 08:55 AM
Depends on what you mean by challenging. Wild Irish Rose is certainly more of a threat.
Posted by: triticale | 14 April 2006 at 03:56 PM