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Sweet Wine

HomeSweet Wine (Page 5)

  A few years ago I started offering monthly wine tasting events out of my apartment. Focusing on Turkish wine, I used these not only to introduce other people to how good Turkish wine can but, but also to train myself and expand my own wine knowledge. And then in March the whole world shut its doors. My daily life didn't change much, I already work from home. But social distancing and self isolation became standard. I canceled my scheduled tasting and retreated to my wine room with my cat. But I missed the tastings! They're so much work and physically exhausting. Also it's a pain to hand wash six

  I recently gave an online taste along about the grape Bornova Misketi. While the trend has turned to making dry wines with this grape, there are still a few quality sweet wines around. One of which, the Sevilen Late Harvest, I included in the tasting. It feels like ages since I wrote a sweet wine review so, while I only just drank this, this post is overdue. Sevilen, one of Turkey's largest wineries, makes some of the country's most recognizable labels with 20 different labels across five quality categories. The Late Harvest wine belongs to the winery's Ultra Premium series.  Sevilen Late Harvest 2013 Tasting Notes Made with, as the name

  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

  Many moons ago I joined my very first wine club at Virginia-based winery Doukenie Winery. "the Bazaco family: a family-run winery built on courage, adventure and pursuit of the american dream" The winery began generations before its foundation with 14 year old Doukénie Babayanie Bacos's journey from Greece to the US. Her daughter, the aptly named Hope, married George Bazaco and their son, also George, would establish the winery.  In 1986 George Bazaco (the junior) and his wife Niki would plant their first vineyard in Loudoun County, Virginia, bringing the family journey full circle. He named the winery for his grandmother who made that fateful journey so long before, leaving

  Kırklareli-based winery Arcadia is not alone in cultivating Sauvignon Blanc. This French varietal maintains a spot as a major favorite here in Turkey. What sets it apart is the Arcadia 333. The sexiest wine in Turkey (but more on why later!). While many turn up their nose to sweet wines, I staunchly remain a fan. Turkey offers a fair number of semi and sweet wines. Most of them are made with late harvest grapes while three producers, Corvus, LA Wines, and Gemici make passito-style sweet wines. Only one, Arcadia, makes a sweet wine with botrytis grapes. Something the winery never anticipated doing and, like all those who gamble with

  To those for whom it's a surprise that wine is made in Turkey, it will come as an even bigger surprise to learn that all styles of wine are made here. We have all the colors (including amber), dry, off-dry, fully sweet, sparkling, and even fortified. Being a lover of sweet wines myself I'm always on the lookout for a new quality dessert wine. One day I noticed that my wine shop had two different vintages of LA Wine's Passito on the shelf and though it would be fun to try them side by side. But first, what is passito wine? The answer lies in the name. In Italian,

  Recently I took a break from all things Turkey and, as an early birthday present to myself, spent five days in Hungary to learn about their wines. However, where to start? I've had enough of driving myself around Turkey so I knew I wanted a tour. That's how I found Taste Hungary. Making arrangements through Taste Hungary was the best decision. They arranged two private wine tours for me, one to Tokaj and one to Somló. I also spent some time at their Tasting Table in Budapest attending their Hungarian Wine Crash Course and [caption id="attachment_13133" align="alignright" width="300"] Tokaj town[/caption] generally tasting. And shopping! More on the Tasting Table and Somló later

  I am lucky enough to have friends living in Athens who always have a couch for me to sleep on. For so many reasons, we do not have access to Greek wine in Istanbul. Which means that if I want Greek wine, this Domaine Foivos Asfothelos, it’s off to Greece for me. At least Athens is only about an hour’s flight away! The Rebirth of Mantzavino Domaine Foivos has a much longer history than its 1999 foundation would lead you to expect. Before it became Domain Foivos it was Mantzavino, one of the oldest wineries in Greece. As Mantzavino, the winery produced some of the finest Greek wines that gained fame all over the world,

  2017 was a crazy year. It began with a last minute trip to Iceland where wine is even more expensive than it is in Turkey. Spring was full of whirlwind wine trips to Israel, Georgia, and Greece. This summer after a two-year lapse I went back to the States to see my family in Michigan and Vegas. In the fall I went to Elmali, Turkey to visit a great winery and in December I visited Graz, Austria for the Krampuslauf, Christmas markets, and wine shopping. In addition to the travel I attended or led a couple dozen wine tastings. Including one on a private yacht on the Bosphorus where

  I don’t know why but there’s a fever among the expat population in Istanbul for all things Georgian. Both Pop-Up Istanbul and Popist Supper Club have held Georgian nights. I served as the tamada at the latter (but that’s a different story). I, like several friends, have two kilos of khinkhali in my freezer. And we’re mad for Georgian wine (although really who can blame us?). So when my friend K came home from London with a couple bottles of wine from Badagoni I was thrilled to share the Pirosmani White with her. Badagoni is a fairly new winery in Georgia all things considered. While established in only 2002 it has quickly become one of Georgia’s largest wine