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April 2022

  A few months ago, thanks to Lisa Morrow of Inside Out In Istanbul, Lisa Futterman reached out to me for an interview about the book!. Lisa F, freelance drinks writer and contributor to The Alcohol Professor, fell in love with Turkey during a previous visit and, in her own words, is obsessed with Turkish wine. My new best friend! How Andrea Lemieux Became an Expert & Advocate for Turkish Wine When Andrea Lemieux moved to Istanbul from the US in 2012, she quickly realized she had a lot to learn about Turkish wine. Inspired, she passed the WSET levels 1&2 (in Turkish!), started a blog, The Quirky Cork, and wrote

  The Chateau Gali Viognier is not a new wine. It's been around for a few vintages now. But it's not easy to get so this is the first time I've been able to review it! Unlike the winery's other wines, the Viognier, its only white, is usually available only from the winery directly. Sometimes you get lucky and find it in boutique wine shops. Which is where I scored mine (Santé Wine & More). But I think I got the last one! I've also seen it at Casa Botti and Grape Wine Boutique though.  At the point where the head Gallipoli Peninsula, Hakan and Nilgün Kavur found a little

  While for reasons beyond my ken Karasakız is not more popular in Turkey, it is certainly one of the country's most facile grapes. One of my favorite iterations of this grape is the Paşaeli 6N Karasakız. This wine encapsulates so many things about Paşaeli. Under-utilized grape - check. Old vines - check. Wild ferment - check. Paşaeli almost always allows its wines to undergo spontaneous fermentation on natives yeasts. It just doesn't always advertise the fact. Even on this bottle it appears only in small print. The vineyards lie at 500 meters above sea level in the Aegean, in the Kaz Dağları. They average 35 years old, giving them

  New on the market last year, Etruscan Bağcılık introduced several new wines. While the winery got started in 2010, it kept pretty quiet until its first commercial release. Which means unfortunately I missed it on my pass through Gallipoli while researching for my book. I have since got my hands on a few of their wines, one of which is the Etruscan İno Sauvignon Blanc. Etruscan Bağcılık Vineyard planting for Etruscan Bağcılık began in 2010 in Eceabat on the Gallipoli Peninsula. If Eceabat sounds familiar (in a wine context), it's because several other wineries including Suvla and Asmadan call it home. Etruscan's vineyards here grow a familiar mix of

  This month to celebrate spring and Easter, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, has invited the #Wineophiles group to share spring recipes and French Easter traditions. Rather than highlight a specific grape or region in France, she left the field wide open for us to feature any wine we wanted. Join us on Twitter on Saturday, April 16 at 11 am EST / 8 am PST! Just follow the #wineophiles tag to join our discussion, whether or not you wrote a post for it! French-ish Easter Traditions I did a fair amount of Googling about French Easter tradition. In the Alsace where logical Germanic culture has some sway, the Easter Bunny

  For several years Ma'Adra's Öküzgözü rosé has been one of my go-to rosés. But I've always wondered why they don't make a red. I don't have to wonder anymore because now they do! At November's Sommeliers Selection event in Istanbul, Ma'Adra debuted its new carbonic maceration Öküzgözü.  We don't talk about carbonic maceration a lot in Turkey. While Ma'Adra may not be the first winery here to use the technique, it is the first to proudly put it on the label. But, what is it? Carbonic Maceration, the Internal Combustion of Winemaking Carbonic maceration is probably how early wine got made

  One of the newest members of the Urla Bağ Yolu, Çakır Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık prides itself on growing its vines just meters from its winery. The winery, like many in Urla, puts a heavy emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon for both red wines and its Çakır Somnium Rosé. In addition to Cabernet, the winery cultivates Syrah, Chardonnay, and the regional Bornova Misketi.  Even if I would prefer to see more native grapes, Çakır makes a lovely addition to the wine route! Çakır Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık Çakır had to open when I made my visits to Urla to research for my book. Last summer, just before I finished writing, I took a quick

  Cab Franc day is long over but my love for the grape goes year 'round! I've had the Arcadia A Cabernet Franc before but thought it was time to revisit it. In recent years, Cabernet Franc has exploded in popularity in Turkey. Initially it started making an appearance in a few more blends here and there. Then the wineries that had those blends released single varietal Cabernet Franc. And yet a few wineries, like Kayra, Suvla, Vino Dessera, Chamlija, and Arcadia featured it right from the off. If you visit Arcadia's website, you'll even see that the winery features the grape in the "special grapes" section. Arcadia A Cabernet Franc,

  Last year, one of my most popular posts was an interview with Uçmakdere winemaker Işıl Bulutsuz. A number of people asked for more interviews. One of my goals this year is to do just that. I am getting a bit of a late start since it's already April! It did take me a while to figure out video editing (which as you'll see is still very much a work in progress). Anyway, I'm finally able to post my first interview. Tina Lino While she's not Turkish, I decided to start with Tina Lino, who, unlike many of the foreign winemakers and consultants working with wineries here, actually lives here. And,

  It's finally spring! The snow is over for real now and warmer weather is already here. I for one cannot wait to get back to gardening and sitting on my balcony. What are you excited about this spring? With warmer weather on the rise, many might be thinking it's time to switch to drinking rosés and white. But there is still room for red wine! What does your horoscope say you should try drinking in April? Read on and find out! Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) What's that saying about April showers bringing May flowers? This month will give you a fresh perspective if you take a few risks. Speak up