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Red Wine

HomeRed Wine (Page 35)

  Pamukkale Wines is a family company started in 1962 by Fevzi Tokat. Tokat began with a fairly small capacity of 100,000 liters. Pamukkale has since grown into one of Turkey’s largest wineries. Now looked after by Yasin Tokat, the winery produces 3.5 million liters of wine every year. It’s main goal: to offer the best quality wine to the wine lovers at the best prices. The winery sources grapes from a variety of locations in Turkey. It’s “home” vineyards located in the Aegean Region of Çal are made up of clay-loamy, limestone, pebbly soil at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level. This area has been the home

  Together with Talay, Amadeus, and Çamlıbağ, Corvus is one of Turkey’s Aegean region wineries located on the island of Bozcaada. Corvus came about in 2002. Like many winery owners in Turkey, this was a second career for founder Reşit Söley who moved to Bozcaada to open his winery. He named it Corvus, which is Latin for “crow” because of the vast amount of crows that also make the island their home. Söley makes wine from a variety of both international and indigenous grapes. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, the winery also cultivates the island varieties Çavus, Vasilaki, Kuntra, and Karalahana. Corvus buys in fruit from other

  Good wine shouldn’t have to be expensive. Unfortunately that is not always true in Turkey. Someone asked me recently to recommend a wine under 25 TL (about $6). And I really couldn’t do it. Double that price and we can talk. There are very few wines here priced under 40 TL ($9) that I will drink. It’s not that I’m a snob (well really I am but that’s a different topic). I just prefer to drink wine that a) tastes nice and b) won’t kill me. For every rule there exists and exception. While I still refuse most wines that live at the 25 TL mark there are a

  My love affair with Ayda Winery began last fall in my local bottle shop. I’m in this shop a lot. Like, a lot a lot. So when there’s a new bottle somewhere I zero in on it pretty quickly. With the Ayda Winery VinAida collection it wasn’t difficult at all since they were sitting right there on check out counter. Actually I think they might all have been samples for the store owner. There was only the one set and the shop doesn’t carry them*. They let me buy a couple bottles anyway. I think they get a kick out of the odd foreigner who gets so excited about

  Karnas Vinyards is a boutique, family run winery and farm which main goal is to farm “respectful of nature”. Engineering the First Turkish Zinfandel [caption id="attachment_11659" align="alignleft" width="301"] Me at Karnas[/caption] Selva Ismen, the elegant force behind Karnas Vineyards started life as a civil engineer. One of the very first graduates from the prestigious Istanbul Technical University, Selva Hanım lived a life of clinical maths and calculations. Until, that is, she lived in the US for a number of years where she learned to love not only wine, but specifically Zinfandel. After she retired she began experimenting with winemaking at the family home in Yeniköy in Turkish Thrace. Selva Hanım bought grapes from friend

  Urlice Vineyards is one of Turkey’s special boutique wineries. The husband/wife team Reha and Bilge Benisü Öğünlü oversee everything from vineyards to cellar on their own. The Making of a Dream Bilge and Reha lived in the US for over 15 years. While there they developed a love for wine and gastronomy.  Her parents had a small vineyard where they learned the ropes a bit during visits. Between those visits and their wine tours in the US their love of wine grew prompting them to start their own vineyard when they returned to Turkey. Since beginning planting in 2002, Bilge and Reha have built a beautiful winery and make wines every bit as

  Previously I have reviewed the Vino Dessera 190 2014 vintage. It seems I’m moving backwards now with the 190 2013! But, why 190? Since enjoying that bottle of the 2014, I managed to learn the story behind the name.  It's a story both simple and fantastic. During Vine Dessera's first vintage, a small tragedy occurred in their cellar. After crafting and bottling their red blend, the wines went to the cellar to rest a while before going to the market. Then, disaster struck. The cellar flooded, destroying most of their work. Vino Dessera were able to salvage only 190 bottles of the wine.  Now every year, they make a 190 blend in

  Kuzeybağ remains one of those semi mysterious wineries. I’ve had their wine a few times, seen them a different events in Istanbul, and even met them. Despite all that I do not yet know their story. What I do know is that the winery makes a killer Öküzgözü. Anatolia makes up the bulk of Turkey. Simplified (perhaps slightly too much) if it’s not the European side of the country (including part of Istanbul, Thrace, and the Marmara) it’s Anatolia. For wine purposes, Anatolia is then further divided into Eastern, Central, and Southeast districts. Kuzeybağ’s home is Eastern Anatolia in an area called Elazığ (El-AH-zih). Elazığ in turn is the home of the

  Even if you live in Turkey and/or are an aficionado of Turkish wine you can be forgiven for not knowing about Vinolus. Those in the know will tell you that Vinolus wines are well worth the hunt. I first encountered this maker at Solera, my favorite Istanbul wine bar. I’m always attracted to different and interesting labels. So when I saw a Turkish wine decorated by a haloed angel I had to try it. A Journey Towards Authenticity This little gem of a winery is tucked away in the wilds of Kayseri (near the famous Cappadocia region). The brainchild of owner Oluş Molu, Vinolus (vin + Oluş = Vinolus), the winery

  Yedi Bilgeler (also known as 7Bilgeler) is one of my absolute favorite Turkish wineries. Due in large part to this wine, the Pythagoras. I previously reviewed the 2013 and now it’s time for the 2014. But before we get to the wine, the winery! The Seven Sages I recently had the great fortune to visit Yedi Bilgeler with my good friend and writing partner, Istanbites. We were privileged enough to spend time there with founder and owner Bilge Yamen. Bilge bey became interested in wine while at university. He was interested in history and philosophy and how wine played such a huge role in both. He believes that history, philosophy, and jazz are like wine:

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