Organized by Sabiha Apaydın in coordination with the Georgian Wine Association, the Georgian Wine in Focus masterclass returned to Istanbul last week. And before anyone stops reading thinking we can't get these wines in Turkey
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My adventures with Turkish wine importer, Fine Turkish Wine, continue! Well at least the writing of them does, the adventures themselves ended in November. And it's taking ever so much longer to write about these visits than it took to make them! After two days in Trakya (aka Thrace), visiting first Arcadia, then Arda and Gürbüz Winery we headed for the Aegean. In this region, our first stop was Kuzubağ, then we went on to Heraki, and then on to Kastro Tireli which hosted a mega tasting for us. Kastro Tireli It's been many years since I last visited Kastro Tireli, and I'm glad we were following José. I vividly recall
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The Lidya Antik Bağ Rotası, the newest of Turkey's wine route, has really come out of the gate at full speed with thoughtful branding, a slick website, an active social media presence, and special events. A couple weeks ago I attended a dinner hosted by the wine route. The guests were a quirky mix of winery owners and winemakers, marketing specialists, wine bar owners, social media wine influences, journalists, and somehow, me. [easy-image-collage id=22576] The evening began with an introduction to the wine route; its origin story, the inspiration, and the opportunity to taste some of the wines. We were then treated to a fantastic and not at all creepy puppet
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Has spring finally sprung? Based on the latest weather and the forecast, it's hard to tell. However, Easter is just around the corner, flowers seem to be blooming, and the few sunny days lately have given me hope. They say that spring is not for the faint of heart. It's a time of (re)birth when the earth heals from the scars of winter, birthing and healing are not comfortable situations. While everything may look pretty on the surface, remember what effort goes on to get those bud bursts to happen. If the earth can come back from winter trauma year after year, we can all have hope that we'll
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I don't usually write about French wine. There are more than enough people already doing so. However, I do like to make exceptions when I find something weird and/or wonderful. The Albert Boxler Chasselas very much falls into that 'wonderful' category. Chasselas is one of those grapes I've read about but never thought to be able to taste. Until, that is, I found myself in Colmar in France's Alsace. Buried among the bottles of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir were a few grapes that often fall into the "other" category. Including this Chasselas. It was probably the least expensive bottle I bought on that trip. But
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Another piece published on Food Wine Travel Magazine! How to Spend a Day in Michigan's Smallest AVA I’ve been a proud Michigangster my whole life. But it wasn’t until I left the U.S. over 12 years ago that I really began to explore the state. What changed? Maybe a little homesickness, but more than that, I discovered wine. Now, my annual visits to Michigan involve learning more about its wine scene. On my most recent visit, my favorite cousin and I spent a day getting to know Michigan’s smallest AVA (American Viticultural Area): the absolute gem, Fennville. Fennville AVA I’d heard of Fennville AVA, but I’d never visited. Not only is it one
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How I've never posted about this wine before is really beyond me. Sometimes, something is so obvious that you just assume you did it. Better late than never! When people think about island wines, minds reach out to Greece, the Canary Islands, Italy. As much as 'wine' and 'Turkey' rarely enter people's thoughts at the same time, 'island wines' and 'Turkey' cross paths even more rarely. And yet, Turkey has islands and they produce wine. Wines from Avşa often get overlooked and little makes it off Gökçeada, but Bozcaada is a different story. While rarely explored in depth, Turkish island wines have made a name for themselves locally. Much of that
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Another piece published on Winetraveler! Turkey Wine Guide: Discover Turkish Wine & Regions Most people picture Turkey as a land of vibrant bazaars, layered history, and turquoise coastlines. Few realize it is also one of the world’s oldest but most misunderstood wine countries. Grape cultivation traces its beginnings to eastern Anatolia, and wine has been made here since before history was recorded. Hittites, Assyrians, Phrygians, and other ancient civilizations made their mark on wine long before Greeks and Romans inhabited the country’s vineyards. Here like nowhere else cultures, terroir, and a treasure trove of native grapes blend to create a grand coupage. Producing high-quality wines almost entirely consumed domestically, Turkish vineyards remain
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I am so happy to have my first piece published in Winetraveler! Turkey Makes Wine? Here’s Why You’ve Probably Never Tried It Turkey elicits images of minarets, fezes, kebab, and endless glasses of tea. Visitors have long flocked to Istanbul and beyond to explore the country’s ancient ruins, sandy beaches, and stunning countryside. One thing that many people miss is its wine. Despite being one of the oldest wine producing countries on earth, few have discovered the wines or even had a chance to try them–here’s why. Turkey Doesn't Really Export Its Wine While many think Turkey might be too hot for vines, the truth is that heat is tempered by sometimes
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Sparkling wine is almost universally associated with celebrations. Yes, bubbly wine is a happy drink and happy drinks are great for celebrations, but that's not why the association. It is largely due to how expensive sparkling wine tends to be. People generally, therefore, save it for special occasions. Why is sparkling wine so expensive? How are sparkling wines made? Let's pop a cork and get into it! This post ended up being way longer than I expected. So, I'm trying for the first time to add a table of contents. Table of Contents Everything You Need to Know about Sparkling Wine Traditional Method Sparkling Wine Martinotti Method Sparkling Wine Ancestral
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