Blog

Your August 2026 Turkish Wine Horoscope

 

---

It’s August!! Why am I so excited for this typically hottest, most unbearable month of the year? It’s my birthday! It’s all about meeee!!!! While I won’t be saying which birthday, I will be posting about the wines I’m so excited to drink on the day. Whether or not those are what my horoscope says I should be drinking remains to be seen. 

But forget about me for a nanosecond, what’s going on with you this month? What will you be drinking? Read on to find out. 

And remember, if you’re not somewhere with easy access to Turkish wine, don’t hesitate to reach out (to me, the universe doesn’t always respond to email) for alternative recommendations.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

You keep making promises to your future self that your future self has absolutely no interest in honoring. Tomorrow was supposed to be productive. Tomorrow was supposed to be responsible. Then tomorrow arrived with snacks and a completely different agenda. The good news is you’re having a much better time than your calendar expected.

Power Move: Negotiating a truce with your future self
Your Vibe: Optimistic enough to believe every fresh start

The wine for you …

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, your optimism that one of these tomorrow’s you’ll actually be productive is charming if perhaps a little delusional; much like Diren’s optimism thinking no one will notice its copycatting ways. I get it. Wine is a tough business, especially here, so taking a risk on a grape without first seeing if others have been successful is scar y. And yet…it’s released in relatively quick succession wines more bravehearted wineries have already premiered: Kösetevek, Merzifon Karası, Sungurlu, and now Erciş Karası. 

That said, the Diren Erciş Karası is (in my opinion) the best of the lot and comes with that great Diren low pricing. As a lighter-bodied red wine, it’s even perfect for August. Pop it in the fridge or an ice bucket for 20 minutes and enjoy. 

Look for this where Diren wines are sold: Carrefour, La Cave, Macro Center, Migros, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Wayana, Gözde Tekel, etc.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

You’re becoming surprisingly territorial about your free time this month. The moment someone describes a plan as “It’ll only take a minute,” your instincts tell you they’re lying. You start protecting empty space on your calendar with the enthusiasm of a medieval castle guard, and honestly, it’s one of your better ideas. Not every invitation deserves a yes just because it showed up.

Power Move: Being fully booked by choice
Your Vibe: Entirely unbothered by everyone else’s urgency

The wine for you …

Entirely unbothered is practically Nif Bağları’s motto. Except their motto is actually “Bottled Happiness” which is delightful. When everyone told them they needed Bordeaux varieties to succeed on the market, Nif took a sharp turn in another direction, opting for Italian grapes and a weird German hybrid. Be like Nif, be unbothered by other people’s schedules and opinions and drink the Nif Solaris this month

Look for it at Carrefour, Gözde Tekel, İyi Şarap, Le Conte, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Mahzen 26, etc.

Gemini (May 20 – June 20)

August has you realizing you have somehow accumulated an alarming number of abandoned interests. A half-finished book. A hobby you tried for three days. Supplies for a project you were absolutely going to start. Instead of feeling guilty, you decide this is proof that your curiosity is alive and your attention span is simply living a more adventurous lifestyle.

Power Move: Revisiting old interests with zero commitment pressure
Your Vibe: Joyfully distracted

The wine for you …

Curiosity and adventure are very much alive over at Paşaeli. They, however, finish all of their many projects. Think what you could do if you took on some of that energy! Perhaps sipping on a bottle of the Paşaeli 6\N Rosé this month will inspire you. Even if it doesn’t help you finish any of your projects this month, it will surely boost that joyful attitude!

Look for this at places like La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Mahzen 26, La Commune, Casa Botti, Rind, Wayana, Bordo Şaraphane, Gözde Tekel, İyi Şarap, Macro Center, Solera, Comedus, etc.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

You sentimental attachment reaches impressive levels this August. You’re becoming weirdly protective of something nobody else understands this month. It could be a personal tradition, a favorite place, an old TV show, or an object with absolutely no practical value. Whatever it is, you’re going to defend like you would a family heirloom. 

Power Move: Protecting what matters without needing everyone to understand it
Your Vibe: Soft-hearted with surprising determination

The wine for you …

The Mor Salkım was practically built on sentimentality. Founder Hasan Tahsin Erdemir died the year after the winery’s harvest. Rather than give up the winery, his twin brother Melih decided to continue his brother’s dream.

This August, look for a bottle of the Mor Salkım Volante Aksümbül (review coming soon). Made with a rare Aegean grape, cultivated I believe only by Mor Salkım, this wine shows Melih’s dedication to not only his brother’s memory, but to protecting Turkey’s rare grapes.  

I’ve seen this at Rind and Wayana. Mensis Mahzen often carries Mor Salkım wines as well.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

You become—accidentally or not!—the person who gives everything a dramatic backstory. A new purchase is no longer just a purchase. A random outing becomes an experience. A minor inconvenience becomes a tale you’ll be telling for years. By month’s end, you’ll have everyone wondering whether they missed something or you simply experienced it better than they did.

Power Move: Making memories out of completely normal moments
Your Vibe: Naturally theatrical with excellent storytelling instincts

The wine for you …

Being able to spin a good yarn is vital for wine sales. Likya knows about that. When Likya released its first rescued grape Acıkara, the story of how a shepherd led them up the slopes of the Taurus Mountains to this vine growing wild captured the hearts and wallets of wine drinkers. The story worked well enough that Likya copy/pasted it onto several of their other finds. 

Whatever the truth might be, it is a good story and that’s what you’re all about this month. When your mouth goes dry from overuse telling your dramatic tales, wet your whistle with a bottle of the Likya Işığı. 

Find it at Wayana, possibly Casa Botti, and Mensis Mahzen. Rind used to carry a lot of Likya. Try La Cave, maybe Macro Center, Vinus…

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

August brings a mystery. Something disappears, stops working, or refuses to make sense, and naturally you become the detective. You won’t rest until you’ve figured out the cause, even if the cause turns out to be something embarrassingly obvious. The satisfaction of solving it matters more than the actual problem.

Power Move: Investigating before replacing or abandoning anything
Your Vibe: Detail-oriented with detective energy

The wine for you …

Vineyards around the world have died out as people abandon agriculture for easier, flashier jobs or city life. The economics of small farming in particular are not rewarding. We lose more than simply vineyards when this happens. In some cases, we also lose entire grape varieties. Dursun Sevindi is one of the people who abandons nothing. This Konya native knew there were vineyards there and that the area had a history of winemaking. Dursun now has a thriving winery and has given several grape varieties back to the world. This month, drink his Mistia Puduhepa Ten Gönyek (review coming soon) and help make sure these grapes don’t disappear. 

Find this at places like Mistia Kav, İyi Şarap, Wayana, Bordo Şaraphane, Mensis Mahzen, and probably elsewhere. His wines seem to be everywhere now. 

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

People keep expecting you to keep everyone happy this month. Congratulations on becoming customer service for everyone else’s emotions. You’ve gotten so good at smoothing things over that people have started assuming you’ll always do it. August reminds you that “not my department” is a perfectly valid response.

Power Move: Letting “no” be a complete sentence
Your Vibe: Balanced, not bendable

The wine for you …

You are uncompromising about not letting yourself be dragged into other people’s issues this month. Canavar also sets a very uncompromising tone. Can and Duygu Kırış are unbending when it comes to their dedication to quality farming and winemaking. The Canavar Ampelo Karasakız is a testament to what that attitude and dedication can do. 

You won’t find this just anywhere. Try more specialty shops like Santé Wine & More, La Commune, Grand Cru, Comedus, Casa Botti, Mahzen 26, and Vinus.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)

You accidentally reveal more about yourself than intended, and instead of immediately regretting it, you discover that nothing catastrophic happens. The conversation simply continues, and nobody makes a bigger deal of it than you do. It turns out you’ve been protecting parts of yourself that never needed quite so much security.

Power Move: Lowering the drawbridge when it feels right
Your Vibe: Relaxed intensity

The wine for you …

You’re intense but cool and there’s a wine that matches that on several levels: Arda Rezerv Narince. First, the Saç is super cool. They’re committed to quality wine and sustainable practices which shows very clearly. And yet they’re very laidback people. Couple that with the way they approach this wine. I don’t know about you, but belief which I clung to for too long was “oak in white wine is bad”. Chalk it up, perhaps, to my early drinking years being in America and influenced by those over oaked, butter bomb Chardonnays. The key is balance, which a good winemaker knows how to achieve. Happily, Arda’s winemaker Şeniz knows what she’s about and has created a wine of intensity, not overwhelm.

Look for it at Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Gözde Tekel, Casa Botti, Wayana, etc.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)

You develop an oddly specific hill you’re willing to die on this month. The topic is completely ordinary, but your commitment to defending it is anything but. You know you’re being a little dramatic, which only makes the debate more entertaining for everyone involved.

Power Move: Knowing exactly when to drop the mic
Your Vibe: Cheerfully impossible to out-talk

 The wine for you …

The folks behind Eskibağlar Öküzgözü went full mic drop an walked away from their Istanbul lives and careers to start a winery. And not just anywhere, in conservative Elazığ of all places. While most wineries are running around making wine with popular, international grapes, trying to compare their vineyards to Napa, Tuscany, or Bordeaux, Eskibağlar does not. The winery and vineyards are in Elazığ, the land of Öküzgözü. So they don’t try to imitate other wine regions. They make Elazığ wine and are proud of it. 

Find it at Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Savoy Tekel, Solera, Wayana, Metro…

Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)

August catches you taking a break without trying to justify it first. That’s new. You’ll discover that the world doesn’t fall apart just because you stopped treating every hour like a performance review. It turns out “doing nothing in particular” is a perfectly acceptable use of your time.

Power Move: Making room for things that serve no purpose
Your Vibe: Serious exterior with hidden soft spots

The wine for you …

wine for the sake of wine, not trying to win awards Turasan Emir (Aug 23, Feb 25)

Wine doesn’t have to be a race to get a medal. Sometimes it can just be wine for its own sake. That’s where Turasan comes in. Simple wines that still taste great and won’t cost you an arm and a leg. This month, get a bottle of Turasan Emir! Kick back and do nothing in particular with a glass of this in hand.

Happily this is pretty easy to find. You should be able to get this at most large grocery chains (Carrefour, Migros, Macro Center, Metro) as well as places like  Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Solera, İyi Şarap, Gözde Tekel, Le Conte, Kavin, Vina Wine & More, etc.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

August has you realizing that something you considered completely normal is apparently considered strange by everyone else: your routine, your opinion, your preferred way of doing something. You spend several days wondering why everyone is acting like you invented a new species of behavior when this has made perfect sense to you for years.

Power Move: Standing by your preferences without writing a defense statement
Your Vibe: Operating on your own frequency

 The wine for you …

Reşit Şöley, founder and owner of Corvus, is certainly one of those individuals operating on his own frequency. That has very much worked out for him. Hopefully it will for you, too. It wouldn’t hurt to drink one of this wines this month though and boost yourself with some of his magic. Open a bottle of Corvus Teneia Çavuş. A little overpriced for what it is, but it is a fantastic wine for summer and light summer foods. And hey, if you can’t get to Bozcaada this summer, you can close your eyes while drinking this and pretend! 

Get it from Carrefour, Mensis Mahzen, Metro, possibly La Cave, Dekante, İyi Şarap, etc.

 Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

You keep becoming the unexpected plus-one in other people’s plans. Someone invites you to grab coffee, and you end up at a birthday dinner with six strangers. You stop by for one quick errand, and somehow you’re helping choose paint colors for an apartment you’ve never seen before. August has a habit of rewarding you whenever you stop asking where the day is headed.

Power Move: Walking into the room like you belong there
Your Vibe: Everyone’s favorite unexpected guest

The wine for you …

You’re something of a crowd pleaser this month. Pair that with a crowd pleasing wine. Reach for the Vinkara Narince. Simple but delicious, it’s the kind of wine that makes everyone happy. Unless they’re psychos or terrorists but you probably don’t want to hang out with those people anyway. Or maybe you do, I don’t know your life. 

Look for it at places like Carrefour, Migros, Macro Center, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, İyi Şarap, Savoy Tekel, Gözde Tekel, Solera, and so on.

Note: It’s now a different label now than the one pictured.