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September 2022

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  Some time ago, I wrote a little compilation of Moschofilero tasting notes. My great friend Anna Maria of Unravelling Wine not so subtly commented that I hadn't been drinking the best Moschofilero and suggested I try Troupis Fteri (which I had) and Bosinakis. And when Unravelling Wine tells you to do something, you do it! Bosinakis Winery - Οινοποιία Μποσινάκης Bosinakis Winery is run by the young Sotiris and Katerina Bosinakis. The couple has produced wine since 1992 but it wasn't until 2009 that they entered the bottled wine industry. Still producing at boutique levels, today their PDO Mantineia is one of the most popular Moschofileros on the market. The couple's

  Over the last two vintages, the Vino Dessera Entrika line has expanded both its offerings and its reach across Turkey. For the 2020 vintage, Vino Dessera debuted its Entrika Emir and the Entrika Narince for the 2021 vintage. Itself based in Kırklareli in Thrace, Vino Dessera's own vineyards grow a variety of (mostly international) grapes. The winery has long sourced native varieties from their respective "homelands": Öküzgözü from Elazığ, Çalkarası from Denizli, etc. With a combination of grape sources, how do you know where they're from? Check the graphic on the back label! Vino Dessera's wines include a small map of Turkey that pinpoints the grapes' origin. Vino Dessera

  Summer isn't over quite yet! We're having some cooler days (which I quite appreciate!) but also still seeing spikes into the 30s. On those days, a nice rosé liked the Uçmakdere Cinsault Roze helps chase a way the heat! Uçmakdere winery sits right at the edge of the Sea of Marmara in the same-named village in Şarköy. It's one of a few remaining wineries from 19th century that opened onto the water to allow the easy loading of wine onto ships for transport. A family-owned winery where daughter Işıl Bulutsuz makes the wines. At the moment they're heavily focused on international varieties. However, last year Işıl teased that we

  Last fall when I visited Likya, they told me about a new rosé they were trying to release: Fox. Made from a new (for us) grape called Tilki Kuyruğu, which means "fox tail" the winery wanted to call their wine Likya Fox. This simple action sparked a lawsuit. But before that story, the grape.  Rather than the bog standard "black from somewhere" (i.e. all the grapes here that are something kara), Tilki Kuyruğu has a fun name. It means, as I mentioned above, fox tail. Named because the bunches are quite large with several cascading lobes that thin out at the bottom creating a fox tail-looking bunch. Elsewhere in

  This month, Cam from Culinary Adventures with Cam has invited the #Winophiles group to explore French Grapes that Crossed Continents. You can read her invitation here. Often I cannot participate in the winophiles events because I don't have access to most of the French wine. But French grapes in Turkey we have in spades! [caption id="attachment_18233" align="alignleft" width="299"] Arcadia PetNat w/rendang & chili corn[/caption] Whether you've written a post for the theme or not, join the #Winophiles conversation on Saturday, September 17 at 11 am EST by following the hashtag on Twitter. French influences on Turkish wine When the modern Turkish wine industry got started in the late 30s and early 40s,

  Back in the day when we were researching my book, E and I were invited to stay at Argos in Cappadocia. This fascinating hotel's story began in 1996 when Gökşin Ilıcalı bought some land in Uçhisar on which to build his own house. However, while digging to set the building's foundations, he unearthed the remains of an ancient neighborhood (mahalle). From that moment, his plans changed. Under the supervision of expert architects, historians, and the cultural and natural heritage preservation board, he spent years excavating and restoring the neighborhood. Now the hotel occupies 13,500 square meters with expertly restored and decorated rooms, event halls, restaurant, and a wine cellar. And if

  My last wine bar review released a maelstrom of comments and conversations about the lack of extensive (or really even good) by the glass options. What a marvelous coincidence then that antidote this problem emailed me days later. Enter Cenap Kuzuoğlu. The man behind the late, lamented BEPPE* has opened a new place in Moda where BEPPE was: Wayana.  With COVID-related shutdowns and, frankly, being exhausted by the extensive pizza menu, Kuzuoğlu decided to create a new brand that focuses on wine. He began, much like many of us poor saps, as a wine drinker, a wine lover, but not he says, as a wine enthusiast. All that changed

  With school bells tolling the end of summer, Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles has invited the #winepw group to a "back to school" themed Twitter chat on Saturday, September 10. You can read her invitation here and, even if you haven't written a post, follow along with what promises to be several interesting conversations at 11 am EST / 8 am PST by following the hashtag. Everyone in the group this month essentially gets to set their own topic with this theme!  Our challenge, per Robin, is to "put together a fun educational piece to expand your wine knowledge!" Eeek! The pressure! But no, really, the fun! Given the history

  If you love Kalecik Karası then you may know the name Prof. Dr. Sabit Ağaoğlu. If you don't know his name, I'm willing to bet you know Tomurcukbağ. While preparing his agriculture PhD thesis, Prof. Dr. Ağaoğlu literally brought back to life what is now the second most popular black grape.   When his research finished he had both a PhD and a vineyard. He and his wife decided they may as well use it and the Tomurcukbağ Trajan label was born. While he dabbles in Boğazkere, Kalecik Karası is the winery's star. But we're not talking about Kalecik Karası today, but the Trajan Narince. When I say that he dabbles