Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi eu nulla vehicula, sagittis tortor id, fermentum nunc. Donec gravida mi a condimentum rutrum. Praesent aliquet pellentesque nisi.

Turkish Wine

HomeTurkish Wine (Page 2)

  Disclaimer: This post includes wines received as a sample. All opinions are my own. None of us had ever heard of the Black Sea grape Merzifon Karası before Likya debuted it as part of the winery's Arkeo line.  It seems it took another winery being successful with the grape for Diren, actually based in the Black Sea, to take notice and start making its own (far less superior imo) version. Then last year, Quinientos Dos (502) Vineyards, a new Black Winery, debuted its wines, including a varietal and a blend Merzifon Karası.  When I tried it last year (which you can read about here), I found a wild riot of

  It might be the shortest month of the year, but you'd never guess with everything that February has in store! Of course there's pressure from many to make a big deal out of Valentine's Day for your partner. And then of course the pressure many singletons feel over having no one with whom to celebrate the day. We should all take a beat and remember the day commemorates a saint who was tortured then murdered as a martyr. So

  I've oft lamented the extent of international grapes used in Turkey. And, while I will always prefer native grapes, the international varieties have their place here. Especially the heritage varieties. Since the Syrahs and Chardonnays aren't going anywhere any time soon, I might as well start having fun with them. And so, welcome to the Taste Off! In this new series, I will feature a Turkish wine made with an international grape and pit it against a wine made with the same grape from a foreign country, either the grape's country of origin, or one well-known for its production. This week, I'm looking at Semillon. A heritage variety in

  Narince has an interesting story. While one can now find it in many places around Turkey, its home is the Black Sea region district of Tokat. A number of wineries own vineyards there but most contract with independent growers. This has become a problem though. While winemakers strive for quality wine, they are thwarted in their efforts by receiving damaged fruit from growers. The Narince leaf is traditionally used to make stuff grape leaves here and growers sell to both leaf wholesalers and wineries. A later-ripening variety, by the time the grapes reach peak ripeness, vines have already been denuded of leaves so a good chunk of the

  Happy New Year!! It's a new year and we have a new look for the horoscope!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or are anticipating one for our Orthodox friends!), Hannukah, and New Year! So, who made a resolution? If you did, hopefully it wasn't to stop drinking wine! Although while all of us in Turkey cower in fear of whatever the new ÖTV increase is, I can certainly understand the temptation to give up alcohol. On a less depressing note, I'm looking forward to seeing what new wines may get released this year from everyone's 2023 harvest. A few of those may even appear in someone's horoscope, so

  Every year - well every year that I remember - I like to do a quick review of the wines I tried or posted about during the year that I most enjoyed, that most surprised me, etc. This year the list is a little shorter than normal. Part of the problem with hyper focusing on such a relatively small wine industry is that

Ali and Fatma Ay were enticed into moving to the Mersin area in their retirement. What enticed them, you might ask. The heat? The beaches? The beautiful Mediterranean water? Nope. Patkara. Local wine made with this little heard of grape seduced them into not only moving to the region, but opening a winery. And, largely thanks to their efforts, Patkara has re-emerged onto the Turkish wine market. [easy-image-collage id=20798] Patkara’s home vineyards sit high in the Taurus Mountains at a minimum of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) with some vineyards reaching even greater heights. Limestone bedrock is studded with marine fossils and, in many places, has given way to karstic landscapes.

  Disclaimer: This post includes wines received as a sample. All opinions are my own. Saudade (sauw-dad) is one of those great words that has no direct translation in English. It's a Portuguese and Galician word derived from the Latin for solitude, but means so much more. Described often as a "Portuguese way of life", saudade encapsulates a "constant feeling of absence, the sadness of something that's missing, wistful longing for completeness or wholeness and the yearning for the return of what is now gone, a desire for presence as opposed to absence

  It's CHRISTMAS!!! Well almost. But my decorations are up, I've already dived into the rabbit hole of terribly fantastic Hallmark movies, and am thinking about which wines to serve for Christmas dinner. And speaking of wine and Christmas, never underestimate how appreciated a good bottle of wine is as a gift!  With the chillier weather here, we are fully into red wine season, but don't forget, there's no wrong season for white and rosé wine if you prefer those! Although I for one am hoping for a cold winter this year to encourage me to clear out some of the bottles of red from my wine room. But what

  Disclaimer: This post includes wines received as a sample. All opinions are my own. Located in the Şırnak Province, Midin Vineyards established itself, in part to save the region's ancient vines, in part to preserve the local Assyrian community's wine culture. It was with this connection to their history and culture in mind that the winery launched its new Cudi wines this year. From the label: Our village was established right in the middle of the valley known as the heaven valley of the Adam and Eve since more than 5000 years. Cudi, Gabar and Bagok mountains are the symbols of our geography. Mount Cudi is known as Kardu in