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November 2019

Home2019 (Page 2)

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

  Since I am back in Athens, I thought it a good time to dig out some old notes on Greek wines I've drunk. Because I'm lucky enough to be a 90 flight from the city where my two best friends live (free accommodation!), I get a lot of opportunity to explore Greek wine. While I nearly sweepingly love the white grapes native to Greece, finding my red wine has not been as easy. Both my friend M and I prefer more powerful, muscular, tannic red wines. Which means Agiorgitiko hasn't been our favorite. However, with that profile as a goal, Greece's "sour black" Xinomavro is a sure bet. The most

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

  Each time I begin to explore a country's wine; there has been one wine that sticks in my mind as the one that made me think: okay, this country makes good wine! For Turkey that was Prodom's flagship blend and Vino Dessera's 190. For Greece it was a Seméli Moschofilero. Six-seven years ago during my first trip to Greece I drank whatever wine got plunked down on the table. It was not awesome. But at least it was better than the "dog killer" wines I was able to access in my conservative outer Istanbul neighborhood. Since then I've been to Greece several times during which I've attended small

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Merlot. That grape that, for good or bad, everyone knows. I have largely avoided Merlot for years. Not because Sideways turned me off of it. More because I'd never been "on" it. The New World style made from late(r) harvested grapes resulting in high alcohol, plummy fruit, and fruitcake flavors has never been my jam.  But not even in Turkey can one avoid this grape. It might not achieve the same amount of plantings as the more popular international varieties of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon; but that is not to say it's hard to find. Quite the opposite. It is, oddly enough perhaps, Turkish Merlots that have started to

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I am slowly coming around to Merlot. Not my favorite (long before that wine movie that's not about wine), it always seemed to strike me as being flat and characterless. Apparently I was drinking bad Merlot. Happily I have since learned the difference between the two. Even more happily, Turkey has a number of producers making good (or at least decent!) Merlot. One of those is Urla-based producer, and member of the Urla Bağ Yolu, MMG is one such producer. This family-run winery in the hills above Urla produces several wines with Merlot, a varietal and several blends. I've previously written about MMG's white and rosé wines. In this

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Prodom winery based in Aydın (eastern Aegean) produces several wine series. The Tellus line represents the winery's mid-range wines. They are widely available and usually cost around 70 TL (less than $10). Not only do these wines come with a reasonable price tag, but the value for money is outstanding. The wines unfailingly boast a high quality level and are some of my go-to red wines! Prodom's Tellus series includes several red blends. The Syrah Petit Verdot first turned me onto this series and the Öküzgözü Syrah continued my love affair with this label.  Prodom Tellus Öküzgözü Syrah 2015 The wines spent an average of 10 months in a combination of

By 2Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sparkling Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  I have chosen to tackle the Trakya Bağ Rotası (Thrace Wine Route) last because I find it the most frustrating. [caption id="attachment_11330" align="alignleft" width="267"] Please note the map is old; couldn't find an updated version[/caption] The Trakya Bağ Rotası was the first of all the established wine routes in Turkey. Membership includes wineries Like Arda in upper Thrace in Edirne (near the Bulgarian/Greek borders) all the way to Suvla at the tippy tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Technically, all these wineries are indeed in Thrace. Geographically anyway. And yet. Edirne and neighboring districts Kırklareli and Tekirdağ are significantly more northerly, colder, and snowier. While Tekirdağ based wineries (such as Chateau

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Bozcaada based winery Corvus is one of the most recognized names in wine in Turkey. When Reşit Söley decided to give up architecture for winemaking, he did it with a meticulousness and considerable energy. Söley threw himself into regenerating old island vineyards and planting new plots. Now, nearly 20 years after founding Corvus, Söley makes a wide range of wines with both local and international grapes. Of his wines, my favorites are the ones that blend the local and international grapes; like the Blend Bianco. Normally I'd have stayed away from this one (Chardonnay + oak and all) but it came highly recommended by my friend Başak of Empathia Creative. Corvus

By 2Red Wine, Rose Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Undeniably the smallest with only four members, the Güney İzmir (South Izmir) route even shares some of its members with the İç Ege Bağ Rotası. Its small size in no way detracts from the joys to be found at each winery though. Güney İzmir Bağ Rotası Yes, this is the smallest of all the routes (and includes two repeat wineries) but I think it's one of the most culturally interesting. As far as what (else) there is to do along the route that is! Closer to the top of the route lies Metropolis. No, not the home of the Daily Planet and Superman! The ancient city is located, ironically, near Yeniköy

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Nestled in a bowl-like cradle in mountainous Bodrum and nearly lost in the riotous greenery of the surrounding agriculture grow vines of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, and Zinfandel. This is Garova Vineyards. Wineries in Turkey have plenty of obstacles to overcome. Much of them, like the high alcohol and "luxury goods" taxes and ban on advertising come from the industry's biggest impediment, the current government. Pair that with a failing economy and general lack of wine culture and you get an industry riddled with stumbling blocks. With this many issues facing a new winemaker, who would enter this life with road blocks of his own? Garova Vineyards' founder

By 0Articles, Red Wine, Rose Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  In Part One of my Turkish Wine Routes series I covered the Urla Bağ Yolu. Now for Part Two, we're moving east from the Aegean coastal district of Urla to Turkey's more inland Aegean areas with the İç Ege Bağ Rotası. İç Ege Bağ Rotası The İç Ege Bağ Rotası (literally: inner Aegean vineyard route) is a fairly recent invention. At least it is the newest of Turkey's four wine routes. The route covers a large area; some 11,700 square kilometers. So says Google. It is 200 kilometers from the winery closest to the Aegean (Nif Bağları) to the farthest inland (Küp Şarapçılık) and another 200+ kilometers from Kastro Tireli