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Rest of the World

HomeRest of the World (Page 11)

  I bought this bottle of 2010 Thracians Mystery Cabernet Sauvignon when E and I were at Todoroff in Bulgaria. I could see E rolling her eyes at me when I bought a bottle for myself and another for M…but look at this bottle! How could I not buy something this ridiculously fabulous?! There’s a ‘medal’ glued onto it above a ‘gold’ (aka colored tin) label. Honestly I opened this pretty hesitantly. Something that needs this much make up couldn’t possibly be very good, right? Todoroff Thracians Mystery 2010 Tasting Notes This 2010 Thracians Mystery was a pretty hefty Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% abv. Aged in new oak, it’s a limited production from Todoroff.

  Georgia wasn’t my only wine-focused trip in May! E&M were spending the month in Athens sorting out E’s Greek citizenship (me = green with envy!) and had several times encouraged us to visit. Having just returned from a whirlwind trip to Tbilisi I was reluctant to do so. Until they sent me pictures of the inside of their local wine shop with promises to take me. My arm sufficiently twisted I booked a flight and prepared to spend a long weekend exploring the Athens wine scene. Then Em fell victim to a visa snafu and had to leave the country within 10 days. So early one Friday morning we

  This Telavi Wine Cellar Marani Tvishi was another great find at Rind. And worth every penny of the 70ish TL that I paid. Telavi Wine Cellar’s wine are the most available Georgian wines available in Istanbul. Except right now. As I write this I am impatiently waiting for Rind’s order to arrive. The order they put in over a month ago. But back to the Marani Tvishi! Telavi Wine Cellar Under the Telavi Wine Cellar company, Marani is one of the largest wineries in Georgia. It’s also one of the most helpful websites. Not only does it list all the Marani wines being produced but provides tasting notes. Which, coming from Turkey where

  Procrastination is my first, middle, and last name. But I couldn’t wait any longer to write about the Zero Compromises and New Wine Festival events I attended last month in Georgia. Months ago I saw an advert on the Georgian Wine Club‘s Facebook page for the New Wine Festival. Armed only with a vague mid May date I started planning my return to Tbilisi. Zero Compromise But before I get to the New Wine Festival; Zero Compromise. About two weeks before I left for Tbilisi I saw a post from Vino Underground advertising the Zero Compromise festival. Unlike the New Wine Festival, this would feature only natural wine makers from around

  Some time ago I posted a review of Flam’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Since I was able to visit the Flam Winery, located outside Jerusalem. While there I tasted wines, bought wines, and got to meet the charming founder and owner, Israel Flam. Flam Winery Flam Winery is a family business. Israel’s wife, two sons, and daughter are all involved in the business. They planted their vineyards in the Upper Galilee and Judean Hills. Like many Israeli wineries Flam shares a dedication to creating terroir-driven, quality wines. They insist on low-yield harvests that are then hand harvested and sorted. Established in 1998 Flam emphasizes quality over quantity. This is especially evident in the

  The Rèmole Toscana by Frescobaldi is one of my new favorite wines. And at only 61.50 TL at Macro Center it’s not all that expensive. For a wine imported to Turkey. The Frescobaldi family has been firmly rooted in Tuscany for hundreds of years. While they started as bankers they are now dedicated wine makers. With no less than six estates across Tuscany they take full advantage of the diverse terroir the region has to offer. The Rèmole Estate is in Sieci, east of Florence. The wines made on the Rèmole Estate are fruit-forward, generally everyday wines. However what may be an everyday Super Tuscan in Italy is something of a revelation in Turkey! Frescobaldi

  This Kindzmarauli Marani Kisi was part of the loot I brought home from Georgia in October. It was a duty free purchase I made before boarding. I remember that I had an awful migraine when I left Georgia. I was in pain, nauseated, and miserable. To add insult to injury, there’s a dedicated wine store in the Tbilisi airport and they offer wine tastings. I had to content myself with at least buying a couple wines as I was too ill to taste any. Kisi is a native Georgian grape grown largely in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. As with many grapes, winemakers in Georgia use both traditional

  Last autumn E&M visited E’s family in Greece returned with many many bottles of Greek wine for us to try, including this 2015 Roditis Sauvignon Blanc by Papaioannoy. I have had very limited experience with Greek wine before now. Limited in fact to pretty much just jugs of table wine from my brief trip to Athens. Those I would not recommend. I would however recommend the Papaioannoy Roditis Sauvignon Blanc. Papaioannoy is an organic vineyard located in Corinthia where they grow grapes on the doorstep of history with vineyards located adjacent to the Temple of Zeus. Papaioannoy has 57 hectares planted in seven locations to take advantage of different soil make up and

  It’s been years since I went to Lebanon but the more Lebanese wines I taste the more I want to visit again! This 2016 Chateau Kefraya Blanc de Blancs (la cuvee de Roussalka) is just one example of why we should be paying more attention to Lebanese wines. Chateau Kefraya Chateau Kefraya is the lifetime achievement of founder Michel de Bustros (1929-2016). He planted his first vines in 1951 and Chateau Kefraya as been making award-winning wines ever since. The Chateau’s wines even won medals in the early 80s when, despite the Lebanese civil war, de Bustros continued to produce wine. Located in the Bekaa Valley at the foot of Mount Barouk,

  In February at the Sommelier’s Selection Turkey event I discovered several wineries of which I was previously unaware. One of those was the Edrine Winery. I was lucky enough to meet one of the family, Demir, and their brand ambassador Ali who invited my friend K and me to visit. Edrine Winery Located in the village of Havsa outside Edirne, Edrine (not to be confused with Edirne!) is a family run winery. Founded in 2007 their first vintage came out in 2010. What started as a boutique winery has expanded rapidly and Edrine now produces some 2 million liters of wine annually. The owners, the Öktem family, concentrate on creating quality and