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Rest of the World

HomeRest of the World (Page 9)

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

  Family is such an important thing, be it blood family or the family you make. I have a fantastic family here in Istanbul. However, that doesn’t stop me missing my DC family or my blood family in Michigan. Many Old World wineries have been in the same family hands for generations. There’s something so special about this that adds to the air of nobility in Old World wines-be the family noble or not. It’s a piece missing from New World wineries…for the time being of course. A Family History Cordero di Montezemolo certainly understands the importance of family. Nineteen generations, going back to 1340 have cultivated vineyards and made wine in

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

  When I hear “Argentina” my mind goes immediately to Malbec (and beef but this is a wine blog!); and to Bodega Trapiche. However, while this post is about Trapiche, it’s not about the quintessentially Argentinean Malbec. It’s about the Trapiche Broquel Petit Verdot. Argentinean Petit Verdot?! Yes! Petit Verdot is one of my absolute favorite grapes. I’m lucky enough that here in Turkey there are several producers making varietal Petit Verdot or using large percentages of it in blends. However, it is certainly not the first grape that springs to mind when I think about Argentina. So when I saw this bottle in a shop here inn Istanbul I was ecstatic. Bodega Trapiche has a very long history.

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

  Italy is one of the few countries whose wines I nearly universally like. While the country is I think more well known for its red wines Italy does make a wide range of whites. I don’t have a lot of experience with Gavi but since it is located in one of my favorite regions (Piemonte) I had to give the Il Pozzo Gavi a try. In 1998 Gavi won a classification upgrade from DOC (denominazione de origine) to DOCG (denominazione de origine contollata), the highest classification in Italy. Because of its DOCG classification, Gavi production is carefully controlled. Wines may not be blended; they are made with 100% Cortese

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

  Last summer was the summer of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for me. We get a surprising number of them here in Istanbul. Sadly they all have ridiculous mark ups but some things are worth the exaggerated sticker price. Such as the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. David Hohnen established Cloudy Bay in 1985. At the time he was one of the first five wine makers to venture into Marlborough. Of course Marlborough has risen since then to become New Zealand’s leading wine region and is now synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay’s vineyards represent the essence of the region and embody it in wine. Grapes from the Wairau Valley bring the punch and

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

  I’ve been to Greece a couple times now but it wasn’t until my second visit (last May) that I discovered Greek wine. The very first one was the Thalassitis Assyrtiko from Gaia (pronounced ghye) Wines. Now, a year later and another visit to Greece in, I got to visit one of Gaia’s wineries. While the Thalassitis is from Gaia’s Santorini winery, not the one in Nemea I visited, I got to taste their Assyrtikos all the same.  Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos founded Gaia on Santorini in 1994. Located in Monolithos on the east coast of the island, the winery is a repurposed tomato processing plant, a remnant of

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

  My tour of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc discovery continued with Villa Maria. And what a fantastic story it has. Villa Maria started with George Fistonich and five acres of land in Auckland. Now, five decades later, Villa Maria encompasses vineyards in Auckland, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, and Gisborne and stands as an icon of New Zealand wine. In addition to their viniculture, Villa Maria secured its icon status through its sustainable grape growing practices. A member of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand; 30% of company owned vineyards are managed organically, and some 500 sheep graze in the Hawke’s Bay vineyards where they control grass growth and provide natural fertilizer. Villa Maria Cellar

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

  The Telavi Marani Rkatsiteli was another great find at Rind. I’m seeing Georgian wine in more and more shops here in Istanbul. However Rind (Kadıköy) has by far the best prices. For this bottle I paid only 39 TL; an unheard of low price for an import! Rkatsi-what? Rkatsiteli is the most ubiquitous of white Georgian grapes. It also has the scariest name for foreigners. Vintners use it to make all styles of wine: steel tank, oaked, or as an amber wine made in qvevri. It can also be made into sweet or fortified wines but I’ve not run across any of those. Native to Imereti, Rkatsiteli is grown widely across

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

  Schloss Johannisberg in Germany’s Rheingau is more than just home to some brilliant Riesling wines. It is also the home to some of the Riesling grape’s most important history. Wine culture here has survived for over a thousand years despite political upheaval and wars that waged around it. 817 AD: The first documented mention of the vineyards by Louis the Pious 1720 AD: Benedictine monks plant the entire domain with Riesling consequently making it the first vineyard in the world planted exclusively with Riesling 1775 AD: The benefits of a Spätlese (late harvest) are first recognized at Schloss Johannisberg 1858 AD: Schloss Johannisberg presses the first Eiswein 1971 AD:  Under

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

  My Greek wine education began with my friends E&M. E’s family is Greek and her frequent trips to the country the last few years have netted many opportunities to sample wine that she brings back to Istanbul. One of the wines she brought home last year was this Ktima Palivou Nemea Agiorgitiko 2014. Palivou Estate Ktima Palivou (Palivou Estate) is one of the two largest wineries in Greece’s Nemea PDO (protected designation of origin). Its main effort is with the Agiorgitiko grape variety but the estate also cultivates  Rodites, Malagousia, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. In order to take advantage of the various microclimates and soils the estate has vineyards in various

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

  I have long been an anti-Chardonnay person. It wasn’t really until my introduction to wines from Chablis that I realized why I dislike Chardonnay…and why I love it. But before we get into the Laroche Chablis or my complicated relationship with Chardonnay, what is Chablis exactly? Chablis is an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) from the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France. The only allowable grape grown in Chablis (in order to be classified in the AOC) is Chardonnay. Wines in Chablis are nearly always vinified without oak, instead fermented and aged in stainless steel or other neutral containers. They are known for their purity of aroma and taste and