Advent Wine Vinkara Yaşasın
It’s Christmas Eve!!! Huzzah!
Based in the Kalecik village outside Turkey’s capitol Ankara, Vinkara owner Ardıç Gürsel laughingly described the winery as “the largest of the small or the smallest of the large”. When the Gürsel family founded the winery in 2003, size was not her goal. Featuring Turkish grapes was her number one and that’s what they do. Vinkara’s efforts in making fine wine with native grapes extends to Gürsel’s number goal: to be the first to make a traditional method sparkling wine with a native Turkish grape. And that’s exactly what she did.
Vinkara’s Yaşasın, made with the not only native but local Kalecik Karası comes in a blanc de noir style (my favorite) and a rosé. It is not longer the only traditional method sparkling wine made with native grapes in Turkey. However, it is the most affordable and, in my humble opinion, the best.
Vinkara Yaşasın Blanc de Noir, 2017
Through a weird quirk, all the traditional method sparkling wines in Turkey are vintage dated. I’ve had the pleasure of drinking Yaşasın vintages going back to 2012. In fact, once I can host in person tastings again (fingers crossed for all of us for a healthy and safe 2021!) I am planning to do a vertical tasting of Yaşasın from 2012 through 2017!
Alcohol: 13%
Appearance: pale straw with lavish bubbles
Nose: Freshly baked brioche, apple, pear, and Meyer lemon accented with the delicate perfume of mimosa blossoms.
Palate: Dry, persistent tight bubbles, crunchy apples, flaky pie crust, scented with lemon blossom, fresh lemon, and grapefruit pith.
My favorite sparkling wine, I always open a bottle of Vinkara Yaşasın on Christmas Eve. And while this year’s celebrations may be more subdued than usual; I wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas!