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August 2018

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  Italy is one of the few countries whose wines I nearly universally like. While the country is I think more well known for its red wines Italy does make a wide range of whites. I don’t have a lot of experience with Gavi but since it is located in one of my favorite regions (Piemonte) I had to give the Il Pozzo Gavi a try. In 1998 Gavi won a classification upgrade from DOC (denominazione de origine) to DOCG (denominazione de origine contollata), the highest classification in Italy. Because of its DOCG classification, Gavi production is carefully controlled. Wines may not be blended; they are made with 100% Cortese

  Together with Talay, Amadeus, and Çamlıbağ, Corvus is one of Turkey’s Aegean region wineries located on the island of Bozcaada. Corvus came about in 2002. Like many winery owners in Turkey, this was a second career for founder Reşit Söley who moved to Bozcaada to open his winery. He named it Corvus, which is Latin for “crow” because of the vast amount of crows that also make the island their home. Söley makes wine from a variety of both international and indigenous grapes. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, the winery also cultivates the island varieties Çavus, Vasilaki, Kuntra, and Karalahana. Corvus buys in fruit from other

  When the Yürüt family began to make wine, they didn’t know that they would one day be sharing their dream with a considerably large crowd of wine lovers. Their initial curiosity led them to research, read, discover, and eventually establish Bodrum Winery. Erhan and Füsun Yürüt began making wine at home in the 1980s. While initially everything was a trial and error method, their interest grew leading them to attend wine making courses, tasting events, and tour vineyards. Eventually they devoted themselves entirely to what was once a simple hobby. In 2010 they officially turned the hobby into a full-blown business in Kızılağaç, Bodrum. When Grapes Go on a Holiday At first

  I am lucky enough to have friends living in Athens who always have a couch for me to sleep on. For so many reasons, we do not have access to Greek wine in Istanbul. Which means that if I want Greek wine, this Domaine Foivos Asfothelos, it’s off to Greece for me. At least Athens is only about an hour’s flight away! The Rebirth of Mantzavino Domaine Foivos has a much longer history than its 1999 foundation would lead you to expect. Before it became Domain Foivos it was Mantzavino, one of the oldest wineries in Greece. As Mantzavino, the winery produced some of the finest Greek wines that gained fame all over the world,

  Turkey is home to hundreds, if not thousands of vitis vinfera grapes not found anywhere else. As with many winemaking countries some grapes are more popular than others. It is easy to find wine here made from grapes like Narince, Emir, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, and Boğazkere. But Yapıncak not so much. Very few wineries work with this grape. Really only Suvla, Paşaeli, and Sevilen. Yapıncak  Never heard of this grape? Not surprising. The Yapıncak grape is difficult to grow and prone to low yields even in good years. Its continued existence is down to the few winemakers who continue the struggle to cultivate it. Grown around Turkey’s Marmara sea, largely in Eceabat, Yapıncak

  Good wine shouldn’t have to be expensive. Unfortunately that is not always true in Turkey. Someone asked me recently to recommend a wine under 25 TL (about $6). And I really couldn’t do it. Double that price and we can talk. There are very few wines here priced under 40 TL ($9) that I will drink. It’s not that I’m a snob (well really I am but that’s a different topic). I just prefer to drink wine that a) tastes nice and b) won’t kill me. For every rule there exists and exception. While I still refuse most wines that live at the 25 TL mark there are a