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September 2018

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  One of the reasons why I love Turkey’s Suvla Wines is not only that they make wine at all price levels. In fact many of Turkey’s larger wineries do that. But not all seem to care if the wine is good. That’s what makes Suvla stand out. Their wines range from about $5 USD (at the current exchange rate) to $60. And they’re all good. Which is why I trusted them enough to try their new organic Chardonnay. Well, I say ‘new’. But it was new last year when I first drank it! I have a huge love-hate relationship with Chardonnay. When I first started drinking wine the popular thing to

  Family is such an important thing, be it blood family or the family you make. I have a fantastic family here in Istanbul. However, that doesn’t stop me missing my DC family or my blood family in Michigan. Many Old World wineries have been in the same family hands for generations. There’s something so special about this that adds to the air of nobility in Old World wines-be the family noble or not. It’s a piece missing from New World wineries…for the time being of course. A Family History Cordero di Montezemolo certainly understands the importance of family. Nineteen generations, going back to 1340 have cultivated vineyards and made wine in

  When was the last time you were really wrong about something? While I’m sure there have been so many more times; one that really sticks in my head was when I was maybe about 11. My mom arranged a play date for me with a girl in my grade. Not that I was super popular (I was firmly in the ‘weird kid’ camp) but she was definitely lower on the middle school hierarchy than I was and I wouldn’t have been caught dead talking to her at school. Not only did I have a great time with her that day but she became a really good friend. I don’t

  One of the wineries making up the Urla Bağ Yolu, Mozaik Winery sits in a place of idyllic, pastoral heaven. Vineyards run alongside paddocks keeping pace with the racing horses that are raised next to the winery. Trees dot rolling hills providing shade for grape and horse alike while airy stables dwarf the small onsite tasting room. Everything looks so calm and easy that at first glance you would think that the vineyards, winery, and stables simply appeared. However, it was hard work and passion that built everything. Planting the Seeds of a Dream In 2006 Ali and Melis Emin founded Mozaik Winery’s vineyards and the Mahrem label in the Urla

  When I hear “Argentina” my mind goes immediately to Malbec (and beef but this is a wine blog!); and to Bodega Trapiche. However, while this post is about Trapiche, it’s not about the quintessentially Argentinean Malbec. It’s about the Trapiche Broquel Petit Verdot. Argentinean Petit Verdot?! Yes! Petit Verdot is one of my absolute favorite grapes. I’m lucky enough that here in Turkey there are several producers making varietal Petit Verdot or using large percentages of it in blends. However, it is certainly not the first grape that springs to mind when I think about Argentina. So when I saw this bottle in a shop here inn Istanbul I was ecstatic. Bodega Trapiche has a very long history.

  LA Wines holds the record for being one of (if not the!) largest organic vineyards in Turkey. Wines at this beautiful Izmir estate are made with the same amount of care given to the vines. However, what I find the most delightful about this winery is its willingness to experiment and color outside the box. Istanbites and I recently had the chance to sit down with one of LA Wines’ winemakers, Ali Boz, and learn the history of this winery. Keeping it Clean In 2010 Lucian Arkas purchased the company Idol Wines. While he renamed the vineyards LA Wines, as a nod to the work done before him he kept the

  Pamukkale Wines is a family company started in 1962 by Fevzi Tokat. Tokat began with a fairly small capacity of 100,000 liters. Pamukkale has since grown into one of Turkey’s largest wineries. Now looked after by Yasin Tokat, the winery produces 3.5 million liters of wine every year. It’s main goal: to offer the best quality wine to the wine lovers at the best prices. The winery sources grapes from a variety of locations in Turkey. It’s “home” vineyards located in the Aegean Region of Çal are made up of clay-loamy, limestone, pebbly soil at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level. This area has been the home