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Rest of the World

HomeRest of the World (Page 5)

  So. Canadian wine, eh? Although in this case I suppose I should say "oui" as today's post is about Quebecois wine. My family is from Quebec. Originally. Like three or four generations ago. We're Lemieux and Dion so, yeah. Despite any possible family remaining in Canada, I did not receive this Coteau Rougemont Vidal Reserve from them. Rather, Istanbites, who actually is Quebecois, brought it back from a visit to Montreal. Founded in 2007 by the Robert family, Coteau Rougemont planted its first vines in Quebec's sandy soils in 2008. From those early Frontenac vines, the vineyards have expanded to include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Vidal, Pinot Noir, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac

  Assyrtiko. The most iconic of Greek grapes immediately brings to mind images of Santorini, the distinctive vines, and the smell of the sea. Assyrtiko is most at home in the volcanic soils of Santorini; where the vines are trained into baskets low to the ground to protect the fruit from the island's harsh wines. However, it is also grown as far north as Drama in Macedonia. It's a versatile grape used in Vin Santo sweet wines as well as dry varietal wines. As a dry wine, Assyrtiko displays a yellow-gold color with mineral, pear, apple, and citrus blossom aromas and flavors. Assyrtiko can also be found blended; often

  I know what you're thinking. "Wait, did you say Maui?!" Indeed I did. Kula is a white wine from Maui Wine, a winery located in Hawaiian. Yes, they make wine in Hawaii. Every single one of the 50 States makes wine. My friend E who lives in Athens is more or less from Hawaii. That's what her driver's license says anyway. Athens to the 'big island' is not an easy or cheap trip for one person, let alone two people and a baby (two of whom need US visas). But she does go home sometimes. Prior to her last trip I begged, a lot, for her to please please

  [caption id="" align="alignright" width="302"] From oesterreichwein.at[/caption] Whether you call it Welschriesling, Laški Rizling, Olaszrizling, Graševina, Riesling Italico, or anything else, what does not change is how enjoyable the wines are. Despite its name, this grape bears no relation to Riesling. Welschriesling grows largely in Austria but also Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Northern Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Turkey (sort of-we'll get to that). According to Wine Searcher, the grape is "relatively easy to grow, although it does have a preference for dry climates and warm soils. Welschriesling is productive and retains its acidity in warmer climates, making it a reliable grape for growers. In most cases this will

  These are odd times. You don't need me to tell you that. Social distancing, self-isolation, working from home etc have all led to an explosion of online activities. My two bbfs in Istanbul and I have a weekly happy hour on House Party. Wine tastings have gone virtual on YouTube, Zoom, Instagram, and other platforms. For me, life hasn't change a great deal since all this began. I already work from home. I have an abiding dislike of people generally and really only leave my apartment a few times a week anyway. What I do miss, is Mass. My church has discovered Zoom (and don't get me started

  Located over a two and a half hour drive from Lebanon's storied Bekaa Valley, Gaston Hochar established Chateau Musar in 1930. While the winery may not be in the Bekaa Valley, the vineyards are. Organic since 2006, Musar vineyards are managed with minimal human interference and all the wines are made naturally. Chateau Musar creates three series of wine. The top series, Chateau Musar, includes a red, rosé, and white. Next comes the Hochar Père et Fils Red, and finally the Musar Jeune series (red, rosé, and white). The Hochar Père et Fils Red, from which I somehow got my hands on, is sometimes referred to as the ‘second wine’

  Living in Turkey I'm pretty well accustomed to outsiders' surprise that this is a winemaking country. Every once in a while, I get treated to the same surprise about other countries. One semi recent example involved Ukraine and the Shabo Wine Company. I still have not visited Ukraine myself but received this bottle courtesy of a friend who transited through Kyiv. In 1822 Swiss immigrants established the Shabo Wine Company, based in the town of the same name  in Odessa. Between 1882 and the founding of the modern Shabo Wine Company in 2003, the winery saw a lot of history roll by including Ottoman and Soviet invasions. And while

  Over the last couple years I've visited Greece once or twice a year. However, I have to make it to Santorini. The most famous of Greece's islands definitely has a place on my bucket list but I am waiting for a convenient off-season time to visit. As much as I'd love to see the picturesque views most people associate with the island; what I really want to see are the vineyards. Assyrtiko is easily one of my favorite grapes. I very much want to pilgrimage to its home to visit producers large and small alike. Like Art Space Winery. Art Space is a unique art gallery, museum, and winery

  As close as I am to Armenia, living in Turkey, I still haven't visited. A pity as I hear Yeravan is nice. And of course I'd love to check out the wine scene in Armenia. We certainly don't see any here. Relations between Armenia and Turkey being what they are, Armenian wine isn't exactly thick on the ground here. It's not even thin on the ground. Luckily, thanks to some well-traveled friends, the wine came to me. Karas Wines, founded in 2002, is a relatively new winery by anyone's standards, let alone by a country that measures years making wine by the thousands. Yet the winery has already managed

  Nestled in the sunny slopes of Megara, just 60 km from bustling Athens, lies Ktima Evharis. In 1992, owners Eva-Maria Boehme and Harry Antony began planting Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Sauvignon Blanc, Roditis, Chardonnay, Agiorgitiko, Syrah, Merlot, and Grenache. Part of PGI Gerania, the vineyards cover about 12 hectares between the Gulfs of Salamis and Corinth, surrounded by tall pine trees and old olive groves. Vines here, many of them traditional goblet, are interspersed with rosemary, lavender, colorful roses and fragrant mimosas, lustrous almond trees and pomegranates; lending the vineyards a Garden of Eden atmosphere. With its limestone soils rich in lava, sand, and fossil shells, cool summer and mild winters, the