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Turkish Wine

HomeTurkish Wine (Page 46)

  I've never been entirely sure how my parents became a couple. Of course I've heard the story of how they met. But do I understand how it went further? Not so much. My mother's family are almost all slightly hippy musicians and artists. She's a classically trained singer and some of my earliest memories are of sitting in the theatre while she rehearsed. For about 15 years every summer her family held their own version of Woodstock. An all day food and music fest featuring any band a family member was in, the house band (i.e. my mom, aunts, and uncles), and culminated in a display of illegal

  Despite a winemaking history that some scholars say extends back even further in history than the Republic of Georgia's (renown for claiming to have 8,000 vintages of history), modern day Turkey has little to no domestic wine culture. Under Ottoman rule, Muslims were prohibited from making and drinking of wine. Combine that with the loss of the Greek and Armenian populations (i.e. those who could make and drink wine) in the early Twentieth Century, it's no surprise that today's Turks are just at the beginning of their wine discovery. While a small handful of wineries have operated here since the 40s, the winemaking boom only really began around the turn

  Şen Vineyards is a little-known winery tucked away in Balıkesir in Turkey's Marmara region. Better known for its harbor Bandırma (second only to Istanbul in commercial importance), than it is its wine, Balıkesir nonetheless has a long history of viticulture. So when Feyzi Şen decided to establish a vineyard he felt drawn to the inland village of Ilica in Balıkesir. The winery here produces three wines. Its top tier Hiera Germa, a series of varietal reds called Assuva, and its entry wine, a red blend called Kybele. Şen Vineyards cultivates only international varieties Cabernet Sauvingon, Merlot, and Syrah. While each level wine features one or a combination of these

  Producing some 10 million liters of a wine a year, Kayra is not only one of the largest, but most recognized wine companies in Turkey. Between two production facilities, one in Turkey's Thrace in the European side of the country and the other in Elazığ deep in Anatolia, Kayra offers a wide diversity of flavors and price ranges across 11 labels: Kayra Imperial, Kayra Prestige, Kayra Versus, Kayra Vintage, Buzbağ Rezerv, Kayra, Terra, Allure, Leona, Buzbağ, and Tilsim. The Allure line includes simple whites and a rosé. Simple but quaffable, these food friendly wines also make great aperitifs. Kayra Allure "Beyaz" Kalecik Karası Rosé Kayra bills this particular wine as a

  I had this 2015 Paşaeli Karalahna Rose at a tasting with Şarap Atölyesi. Not being a fan of rose wines I wasn’t terribly excited to be tasting this one but it really wasn’t all that bad. For a rose. Before we get into this one a little about the grape. Karalahna is a native Turkish grape grown largely on Bozcaada and in spots around Tekirdağ. It is a thin skinned, dark purple grape capable of producing dark red wines with pronounced acidity and tannins. Only recently have a few producers like Paşaeli made varietal wines with Karalahna grapes. It was recently thought that wines made from this grape would be commercial unsuccessful and it was

  Narince is perhaps the most ubiquitous of the native white Turkish vitis vinifera. Its native home is in the alluvial soils of the Black Sea region, specifically Tokat; but it is cultivated across Turkey including in the Aegean and Thracian regions. Winemakers are using Narince for everything from still white to traditional method sparkling wines and even skin contact amber. What is it though that makes this grape so great? Meet Narince A somewhat late ripening berry, Narince is harvested in the second half of September, which provides a unique challenge to many winemakers. Third party growers rather than wineries own the vast majority of Narince vineyards in Tokat. They

  Nif Vineyards outside Izmir is owned an operated by the Özcan family. The powerhouse behind the winery is Gaye Özcan who spearheaded the winery's start up while still in her early 20's. When Gaye started planning the winery, the good old boys' club of the Turkish wine industry told her she had to plant Cabernet and Merlot. Without a Bordeaux-blend she could not achieve success. Her response: she planted Sangiovese. Gaye's approach to Bornova Misketi has been similar. Bornova Misketi belongs to the Muscat family. It's origin is the district of Bornova, near Izmir (hence its name). With its inherit rose garden floral aromas and the high levels of

  I've read a few articles recently that suggest Sauvignon Blanc has become rather passé. New Zealand wines apparently have had their heyday. Sancerre no longer seems to garner the respect it once did. Luckily something's popularity has never been a factor in whether or not I like it. Frankly, if it did, I would not concentrate on Turkish wine. So it bothers me not in the least that some think Sauvignon Blanc is over. More for me! I unabashedly love this grape. As long as oak stays far far away. Which is generally my preference for any and all white wines. Sauvignon Blanc gives a wide range of flavors

  I've always wondered who has the fantastic job of naming colors. The big Crayola crayon box had not only an amazing array of color, but a dizzying number of color names. My favorite color was the deeply unPC "Indian Red", that rich, reddish-brown color. Nail polish! Nail polishes have crazy names. I'm currently wearing one called "Famous" which is a bronzey tan and another called "Valuable Petroleum" which is a shimmery marine blue. How do you get this job? Once in high school chemistry we did an experiment that was supposed to turn a bunch of vials of something certain colors. Then we had to describe the colors. I

  One of the magical things about living in Turkey is how one seems to stumble across history everyone one goes. Sometimes its obvious. In Istanbul the Haghia Sofia and Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque) dominate the skyline. Every time I fly into Izmir I remember that it used to be called Smyrna. In Cappadocia I've explored cave churches that belonged to early Christians. And never have I been more aware of the history here than since I began researching Turkish wine. Its history goes back at least to the Hittites who ruled Anatolia from 1650 BC.  Take a step back in time The ancient region of Cappadocia remains one of