First up was the sturdy, dependable, lean and fizzy and Basque-cider-tart Ulacia Getariako Txakolina. For a pleasant touch (and extra points!) it was served Basque-style as well, which it always should be but seldom is, with the server raising the bottle and lowering the glass simultaneously to elongate the pour and aerate the wine slightly, giving it more effervescent bubbleicity (I made that up just now) and pulling out the aromas and flavors. Not surprising at all that this lean yet fizzy Basque wine handled the food with aplomb, supporting it rather than trying to match it.
Then, wanting something just a bit richer with the large plates, we spied the Rocco del Principe Fiano di Avellino from the volcanic soil of Campania, an outstanding bargain for the savvy winelover, and a perfect wine for this table. Audacious in its clean, stony minerality, with pure laser-focused fruit seeping out around it, the Fiano positively blossoms with lemon and lime and grapefruit and melon and stands up to the spices, playing just as well with the smolder of chile as with the sweet lemon, easily dealing with the usually-wine defying artichoke. An amazing companion to spicy and full-flavored foods, the Fiano doesn’t fight with the flavors, it boosts them, enhances their effect while somehow keeping the palate fresh and clear for the next bright bite.
Full article, with foody stuff, http://violentfermentation.blogspot.com/2014/08/shakewell-in-oakland-with-three.html