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Rest of the World

HomeRest of the World (Page 7)

By 0European Wines, Red Wine, Rest of the World, Rose Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  For something like 15 years I worked in DC and abroad on international development programs. My specialty was media development. While I focused the longest on the Balkans, shifts in funding priorities also had me working around the Middle East, Afghanistan, Cuba, and elsewhere. While I no longer do that work, it's because of it that I landed in Turkey. Where, after a fair few years of adulthood, I finally figured out what I want to be when I grown up. Hint: it's about wine. People haven't cornered the market on self reinvention. While it requires human intervention to do so, wine also goes through transformative periods. Take

By 0European Wines, Red Wine, Rest of the World, Wine Reviews

  Duty Free has long been my friend while living in Turkey. Often shopping in duty free is the only place I can find (non Turkish) wines at a fair price. After five and a half years of stopping for my allotted bottles on the way back into Turkey I've pretty much gone through their limited collection of Italian and Spanish wines. The Bodegas Montecillo DOC Gran Reserva 2008 was one of those I picked up. The Rioja Classifications I love Spanish wine. Rioja might be the most famous region but it's really not my favorite. However in the limited market here beggars can't be choosers! If I am going to be

By 0Amber Wine, American Wines, Orange Wine, Rest of the World, Wine Reviews

  I go back to the States maybe once a year is all. For the last two years those have been work trips to DC. While I’ve been able to see friends, and during my latest trip in March, was also able to sneak out to Vegas for a few days to meet my bff’s new baby, I have not made it “home” for almost two years. These last few years, should anyone ask me where home is I would say Istanbul. My life is here as are my work, my cat, and most importantly, my wine collection. However, Michigan will never not be home as well. A true

By 0Red Wine, Rest of the World, South American Wines, Wine Reviews

  Having friends who travel frequently is a great boon to my wine collection. In particular, one friend of mine seems to travel constantly. Thankfully, she’s very generous and usually picks up a bottle or two of wine for me if she’s been to a wine country. To my delight, she’s visited Argentina several times. One of those trips netted me a bottle of Animal Malbec. For all that Argentina rightfully claims responsibility for Malbec’s rise to international attention and glory, even this lauded wine country produces some wines that are table quality at best. Since my friend usually chooses wine in Duty Free as she’s running for a flight

By 0European Wines, Red Wine, Rest of the World, Wine Reviews

  While Turkish wine may be my raison d’être, that certainly doesn’t preclude enjoying wine from other countries. Greece in particular has captured me over the last couple years so I was thrilled to learn about the Oenorama event held every spring in Athens. So, with my cat being looked after by neighbor’s son I was able to take a quick flight to Greece for a lovely long weekend. Oenorama started in 1994. While there are many wine festivals in Greece that focus on specific regions (for example the Peleponnese Wine Festival that occurred in February), Oenorama brings together wineries from all over Greece. This year over 200 wineries and related businesses took

By 0European Wines, Rest of the World, Sparkling Wine, Wine Reviews

  I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying several wines now from Domaine Porto Carras. Their P.G.I. Halkidiki Malagouzia is one of my favorite examples of that grape. So when I went looking for a sparkling Greek wine to try, I knew I would be in safe hands with the Domaine Porto Carras Yliana. Domaine Porto Carras lays claim to being the largest single organic vineyard in Greece. It certainly has had a fairy tale history. In his book, The Wines of Greece, Konstantinos Lazarakis MW describes Porto Carras as being “One of the great stories of Greek wine…” In addition to championing organic agriculture, Porto Carras’s research into rare Greek grapes

By 0European Wines, Rest of the World, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  I have an excellent friend here in Istanbul who is Austrian. Through her generosity, I have learned a great deal about Austrian wine over the last two years. Even though she mocks (albeit gently) my pronunciation of “Grüner Veltliner“, she nonetheless is always on the look out for new wine to bring back from Austria to share with me. The König of Grapes [caption id="" align="alignright" width="275"] photo from AustrianWine.com[/caption] Grüner Veltliner is THE Austrian grape. A case could be made for the black variety Zweigelt, but in the end, Grüner Veltliner holds the title. The grape has been known in Austria since the 18th Century. In 2003 it became the only white grape

By 0European Wines, Red Wine, Rest of the World, Wine Reviews

  I was really skeptical about the Cantine due Palme Tessuto Salento Primitivo when I bought it. Any imported wine that costs only 50 TL (give or take $10) likely is only a $5 wine wherever it calls home. Sometimes you have to take a chance though. I was pleased that I did. Canete due Palme Cantine Due Palme is a co-op wine company established in 1989. The company began with 15 growers. Today that number has expanded to include 1,000 growers cultivating 2,500 hectares of vine across Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto. In addition to expanding its grower base, Cante due Palme also merged with four other large wineries: Produttori Agr.

By 0Red Wine, Rest of the World, South American Wines, Wine Reviews

  The Alamos Malbec is one of the few readily available foreign wines at my Carrefour in Cihangir. One of the readily available, not French, wines that is. And at only about 45-50 TL it’s also one of the more reasonably priced imports. The various taxes that get piled on imports and alcohol often mean an outrageous markup on imported wines. Based in Mendoza, one of the most famous wine regions of Argentina, Alamos produces classic Argentine red and white wines. With more than 100 years of passion and research Alamos puts the very best of Argentina into every bottle. From their high-elevation vineyards at the foot of the Andes, they craft

By 0Amber Wine, European Wines, Orange Wine, Rest of the World, Wine Reviews

  I first encountered Our Wine at the 2017 Zero Compromises wine festival in Tbilisi. The No Compromises festival features wines that are organic, biodynamic, and/or fall into that loosely defined “natural” category. As one of the first biodynamic producers in Georgia, it was no surprise to see Our Wine there. Our Wine Our Wine (initially called the Prince Makashvili Cellar) is a family run winery established in 2003 and led by winemaker Soliko Tsaishvili. Tsaishvili produces high quality natural wines using old Georgian viticulture and winemaking methods with the fermentation, maceration, and maturation taking place in qvevri (large clay amphora that are buried). As a result, his white wines have had a lot of skin