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February 2019

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By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Just a few years ago, Papaskarası, a black grape native to Turkey’s Thrace, was something of a novelty. Very few producers worked with it. Nowadays it seems to be the next big thing in Turkish wine. The number of producers using it has grown and you can find it as varietal red and rosé wines and in blends. There are even a few blanc de noirs floating around. Melen Winery, located in the Hoşköy village of Thrace’s Tekirdağ district, is one of those few wineries that has been working with Papaskarası for quite some time. A family-run winery since the 1920s, it’s also one of the oldest continuous running wineries in Turkey. While

By 0European Wines, Rest of the World, Sparkling Wine, Wine Reviews

  I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying several wines now from Domaine Porto Carras. Their P.G.I. Halkidiki Malagouzia is one of my favorite examples of that grape. So when I went looking for a sparkling Greek wine to try, I knew I would be in safe hands with the Domaine Porto Carras Yliana. Domaine Porto Carras lays claim to being the largest single organic vineyard in Greece. It certainly has had a fairy tale history. In his book, The Wines of Greece, Konstantinos Lazarakis MW describes Porto Carras as being “One of the great stories of Greek wine…” In addition to championing organic agriculture, Porto Carras’s research into rare Greek grapes

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Gemici Family Winery began as a couple of novice winemakers’ desire to share traditionally produced wine with visitors and wine lovers. It soon turned into a full-blown winery and concept store in the southern Izmir town Alaçatı. Gum and Wine Alaçatı, on the Çeşme Peninsula, is a charming town on the Aegean coast often noted for its architecture, vineyards and windmills. It’s a beach town and tourists arrive in droves, particularly in the summer, drawn to the relaxed feeling of the town, great windsurfing, and wine. In addition to wine, this area is famous in Turkey for its mastic production. A natural resin from the mastic tree, this gummy substance has a maple

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Likya Winery in Turkey’s Mediterranean has a huge range of wines. From simple but quaffable entry level to complex high-end wines, Likya has something for everyone. Located in the heights of the Elamlı plateau of the western Taurus Mountains, Likya’s vineyards are home to a mix of native and international grapes. Their elevation and unique terroir give Likya’s wines freshness and elegance which can be felt in all their wines. The owners of Likya, the Özkan family, love food and that shows in their wine. Likya wines match really well with food. Their white wines, like this Patara, have great punchy acid and minerality that make them perfect for salads, mezes, and

By 1Rose Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Established in 2002 by wine and beer importer Seyit Karagözoğlu, Paşaeli is, in my opinion, one of Turkey’s most valuable wineries. More than just creating quality wine, Paşaeli is of the Turkish wineries making huge efforts to revive rare and dying grape varieties. Resurrecting little known Turkish varieties While Paşaeli does turn out a couple of the Bordeaux-style blends that are endlessly popular in Turkey. I’ve had the Kaynaklar and K2 blends several times and they’re very good. But the heart and soul of this winery are the grapes you’ve never heard of. A big believer in growing things where they are native, Karagözoğlu set about collecting vineyards where Turkey’s native grapes thrive naturally.

By 1Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Fortified wine is not so much a thing in Turkey. However, for a country that’s shown itself to be a scrappy innovator in wine, finding fortified Turkish wine did not surprise me. Certainly we do not see the levels produced in famed fortified wine countries like Spain and Portugal. In fact, I can think of only two available of which this Kayra Madre is one. What really excited me about the Kayra Madre is that Kayra used native Turkish grapes for its fortified wine. The Madre features Turkey’s famous blending partners Öküzgözü and Boğazkere, showing them off in a way not done before. A non vintage blend, this blend clocks in

By 0European Wines, Rest of the World, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  I have an excellent friend here in Istanbul who is Austrian. Through her generosity, I have learned a great deal about Austrian wine over the last two years. Even though she mocks (albeit gently) my pronunciation of “Grüner Veltliner“, she nonetheless is always on the look out for new wine to bring back from Austria to share with me. The König of Grapes [caption id="" align="alignright" width="275"] photo from AustrianWine.com[/caption] Grüner Veltliner is THE Austrian grape. A case could be made for the black variety Zweigelt, but in the end, Grüner Veltliner holds the title. The grape has been known in Austria since the 18th Century. In 2003 it became the only white grape