After recently talking about Gamay as an emerging popular grape, let's take a look at Semillon, specifically, the Arda Rezerv Semillon. Like Gamay, Semillon isn't new, but seems as if many have newly rediscovered it. Last year, Arda joined Melen, Saranta, Suvla, and Sevilen, as a Semillon producer. I haven't written about it before now
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Akın Gürbüz has built a name for himself in Turkey as a talented winemaker and wine consultant and his latest wine, the Akın Gürbüz Hieron Oros, only solidifies that reputation. In October, 2020 I visited his winery with a friend and we were privileged to take part in a massive barrel tasting with Akın of his 2019 vintage. We did not try literally every barrel, but we tried every kind of wine in the barrels. Different plots of Cabernet and Merlot, different barrel toast levels, a few experimental grapes he had going on at the time
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Did you participate in dry January? I surely did not! If you did though, I'll be you're really ready for a little tipple! In which case, I've got you covered. What does your horoscope say you should try drinking in February? Read on and find out! Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) When was the last time you felt entirely like yourself? Do you even remember what that feels like? Use this month to try to reconnect to that feeling. Maybe it means changing up your style, hunting down a friend you haven't seen in years, or resurrecting a childhood dream. You may also find this month that you're having difficulty finding
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Foça Karası, a nearly extinct grape from Izmir’s Foça district, is currently championed by only a few wineries, namely Öküzgözü Şarapçılık. Foça Karası (foe-cha ka-ra-sih) berries are small to medium in size and slightly elongated with thick skin. They grow in kind of loose, single-lobed, medium-sized bunches. It’s a mid-ripening grape that makes aromatic wines full of sour cherry, strawberry, prune, clove, black pepper, dill, black currant leaf, and licorice. While in Turkey this grape follows the "black of" naming pattern, this grape also goes by another name: Fokiano. While we know it as Foça Karası in Turkey, in Greece Fokiano (Φωκιανό) grows mainly on the Aegean islands (and a
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One of the world’s first empires, the Assyrian Empire (circa 2500 BC - 609 BC) spanned the periods of the Early to Middle Bronze Age through to the late Iron Age. Their empire covered vast territory including areas of modern day Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. In addition to being a great military power, the Assyrians were talented artists (particularly sculpture and jewelry making), astronomers, and were believed to use technology like telescopes and magnifying glasses. They were also great lovers of wine. [caption id="attachment_16265" align="alignright" width="352"] 60+ year old Kerküş vine[/caption] During their heyday, records from their time show the expansive planting of vines, especially around Nineveh in Turkey’s
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While 2020 was straight-up awful, 2021 had a few more ups. Certainly there were downs! But the slowly slowly back to normal life certainly made the downs more bearable. Oh and my book finally came out! So that was a huge highlight for me! Of course I drank a ton of wine in 2021! I haven't actually posted reviews of all of them yet (I drink faster than I write); so just a quick look at some of my favorite wines from 2021. The Whites I won't lie, I vastly prefer white wine to red wine. Sadly for me, Turkey seems to think that it's a red wine country so there
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Even before my obsession enthusiasm for Turkish wine began, I knew the name Chateau Nuzun. I knew it as the closest winery to Istanbul and that it made wine with organic grapes. Neither of those things have changed. However, I now know a little bit more about the winery and the phenomenal woman, Nazan Uzun, behind it. Before organic viticulture reached its current level of popularity in Turkey, Nazan farmed organically. The majority of her vineyards give a home to international grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and tiny amounts of Zinfandel and the native Öküzgözü. At few years ago, at the inaugural Kök Köken Toprak conference, Nazan
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I've been a little neglectful of my wine bar reviews of late. November and December were insane! Hopefully with the new year things will calm down a bit and I can really dig back into things. I'm starting the year with a wine bar review of Beyoğlu Şaraphanesi. Tucked away in the warren of bars that is Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu Şaraphanesi is like a calm oasis of class and excellent wine. The French bistro-style façade opens into a long gallery warm, exposed brick walls and warm lighting gleaming off shining glassware. One of the things I love about the place is the mix of brick, stone, stained glass, and
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Last year, 7Bilgeler Khilon Fumé Blanc joined the ranks of oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc in Turkey. Sauvignon Blanc enjoys huge popularity in Turkey. It grows across Thrace, the Marmara, and all over the Aegean. Flavor profiles range from rich with ripe stone fruit to lean and racy. Oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc took a little longer to take off than the grape itself. Early versions showed a heavy hand with oak and were clumsy and just not very good. But things have vastly improved and now I'm no longer afraid when I see "fumé" on a label. I previously reviewed 7Bilgeler's Khilon (the not fumé version) and now it's time to talk oak. 7Bilgeler Khilon
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Some grapes are natural blending partners. Cabernet Sauvingon and Merlot. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Boğazkere and Öküzgözü. But what about Sauvignon Blanc and Narince? Narince is one of Turkey's most popular white grapes. Sauvingon Blanc is just one of the most popular grapes here period. But they're not often seen together. Arcadia makes a blend of these, but in tiny quantities and it's next to impossible to find. Now, however, Ayda Bağları is getting into the game with a blend of its own! Narince's weight balances so well with the high acidity from Sauvignon Blanc. Both grapes share a citrus element in their flavor profile and compliment each other with
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