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Turkish Wine

HomeTurkish Wine (Page 29)

  I love doing side-by-side wine comparisons. For example, when a producer makes multiple styles of wine from the same grape. So when I saw that Küp Şarap put out both a Sauvignon Blanc and a Fumé Blanc, I could not resist getting them both! Based in the heart of Turkey's largest vineyard area, Denizli, is Küp Şarap. A multi-generation, family run winery, Küp produces several series of wine. But it is best known, for its Thia line. Somewhere between entry and mid level, the wines come in at some of the most reasonable prices in the country. The quality can be a little unpredictable with them sometimes tasting like

  Just in time for international #SauvBlancDay, my new favorite Turkish Sauvignon Blanc: Saranta Chateau Murou Sauvignon Blanc. This is a hugely popular grape in Turkey. I don't, unfortunately, have any figures, but Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay definitely compete for the most popular white grape here. The majority of wineries boast at least one in their catalogue. It comes as a varietal and in blends. Sauvignon Blanc here ages in stainless steel and displays a crisp and racy character. We're also seeing more and more oak raised "fumé blanc" styles. One winery even has a botrytized sweet Sauvignon Blanc. The only thing we're missing is a sparkling! Saranta has been making

  Narince is perhaps the most ubiquitous of the native white Turkish vitis vinifera. However, its popularity has little to do with wine and more to do with its leaves.  A somewhat late ripening berry, Narince is harvested in the second half of September which provides a unique challenge to many winemakers. The vast majority of Narince vineyards in Tokat are owned not by wineries but third party growers who sell the grapes to winemakers and the leaves to other companies. Stuffed grape leaves (sarma) are made not only traditionally but almost exclusively with the leaves from Narince grapes. Unfortunately, the leaves reach peak ripeness and are harvested long before

  Such is the scarcity of MMG Şarapçılık's wines that the only two vintages of their Syrah I've had were made seven years apart! One of the Urla Bağ Yolu wineries, MMG Şarapçılık clings to the side of Urla's mountains. The view from the restaurant terrace is incredible, looking over the valley formed by the mountainous region where the winery's steep and terraced vineyards lay. I visited a few years ago and I do recommend it (although take care as parking is a wee hazardous!). During my visit I purchased all of their wines knowing they're not in İstanbul. Fast-forward a few years and you can find the wines here.

  It was recently pointed out to me that I never posted a list of my favorite wines from 2020. In fact, I have not posted a list like that since 2017! How embarrassing. However, I feel happy that someone reads this often enough to have noticed the oversight! We can all agree that very few of us enjoyed 2020. At least I had wine to cushion the blow! Below is a list of my favorite Turkish wines that I tried this year (in no particular order). Unfortunately my typing is a lot slower than my drinking so I haven’t posted reviews of all of them but for those I

  I haven't written before about Çakır Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık. It's a newish winery, releasing its first vintage only last year. Until recently this was the only of their wines I've had it being the only native grape they work with. And while I had it last summer (I am so behind on my writing up my notes!) with warmer weather coming back around I've been thinking about how darn good this was and how much I want it again. So let's talk about some Çakır Bornova Misketi. But first, the winery.  Çakır Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık, is one of the newest members of the Urla Bağ Yolu (along with Perdix). The winery

  My fourth article for Turquazz is now live! What began as a celebration of Turkey's devotion to jazz and its own Anatolian music has developed into a full-blown exaltation of Anatolian music and culinary arts. "From the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from Greece to the Iranian border – what is known as Anatolia has a lot to offer, not only a varied landscape but also a long history and multi-faceted culture. For certain, Anatolia is a place of endless stories once you explore its abundant riches. What we focus on today here are the contemporary approaches to this cultural mosaic that is Anatolian culture. There are two words

  My third article for Turquazz is now live! What began as a celebration of Turkey's devotion to jazz and its own Anatolian music has developed into a full-blown exaltation of Anatolian music and culinary arts. "From the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from Greece to the Iranian border – what is known as Anatolia has a lot to offer, not only a varied landscape but also a long history and multi-faceted culture. For certain, Anatolia is a place of endless stories once you explore its abundant riches. What we focus on today here are the contemporary approaches to this cultural mosaic that is Anatolian culture. There are two words

  Sauvignon Blanc wines enjoy a huge amount of popularity in Turkey. It's right up there with Chardonnay. Generally if a winery makes one, it makes the other too. Because Turkey loves its oak there's plenty of "fumé blanc" floating around here as well. Happily (for me who doesn't love oak on white wine), winemakers have developed a more deft hand with their oak aging. Over the last few years we've seen a shift from wine that's been metaphorically beat over the head with stave and barrel to wine that's been gently caressed by it. Meaning I no longer have to approach every oaked white wine fear in my heart!

  In January, Esat bey, owner of La Cave in Cihangir, asked if I'd recently had the Kayra Vintage Boğazkere. It was his highest selling wine that month. Far (apparently) outstripping any other wine sales.  He gave me a bottle with the instructions to go home that evening, open it, and let him know what I thought. He would do the same.  I do not know who started the run on this wine but I hope that person creates more buying trends! It's been a while since I've had any Kayra and I forget sometimes how good their wine is. Particularly those in the Vintage and Versus lines. If you're