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 52)

  Even if you live in Turkey and/or are an aficionado of Turkish wine you can be forgiven for not knowing about Vinolus. Those in the know will tell you that Vinolus wines are well worth the hunt. I first encountered this maker at Solera, my favorite Istanbul wine bar. I’m always attracted to different and interesting labels. So when I saw a Turkish wine decorated by a haloed angel I had to try it. A Journey Towards Authenticity This little gem of a winery is tucked away in the wilds of Kayseri (near the famous Cappadocia region). The brainchild of owner Oluş Molu, Vinolus (vin + Oluş = Vinolus), the winery

  Vinkara Winery, located in Kalecik outside the Turkish capital Ankara is either the “smallest of the big” wineries or the “largest of the small”. It depends entirely on your perspective. Ardıç Gürsel became interested in wine while studying abroad where she was used to drinking good wine. She always wondered, where are the Turkish grapes? When she returned to Turkey in the 80s she told her family that she wanted to make wine and they thought she was crazy. Then a few decades later her father announced that he was going to open a winery. Not without her he wouldn’t! And so Vinkara winery was born. Dedication to Native Turkish Varieties It is my absolute

  I cannot count the number of times I’ve said that I don’t like rose wine. It is many. There have been a few here in Turkey though that, while they won’t make me a rose lover, I will happy say are very nice. Arda makes one such wine. Arda Vineyards sits a short drive outside Edirne in northern Thrace; equidistant from both the Bulgarian and Greek borders. The winery defines boutique. The owners, the Saç family, do more than merely oversee operations. Yavus Saç obtained a master’s degree in wine history, recently sat the WSET 3 exams, and with his wife Bahar oversees the running of the vineyard and winery.  They

  Yedi Bilgeler (also known as 7Bilgeler) is one of my absolute favorite Turkish wineries. Due in large part to this wine, the Pythagoras. I previously reviewed the 2013 and now it’s time for the 2014. But before we get to the wine, the winery! The Seven Sages I recently had the great fortune to visit Yedi Bilgeler with my good friend and writing partner, Istanbites. We were privileged enough to spend time there with founder and owner Bilge Yamen. Bilge bey became interested in wine while at university. He was interested in history and philosophy and how wine played such a huge role in both. He believes that history, philosophy, and jazz are like wine:

  Together with Corvus, Amadeus, and Çamlıbağ; Talay is one of Turkey’s Aegean region wineries located on the island of Bozcaada. In 1948, the Talay brothers Necati, Hayati, and Sebati established their family-run winery. During the early years they focused their attention on local varieties Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, Karasakız (Kuntra). In 1999 they planted European grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, and Tempranillo; as well as adding to their indigenous grape roster with Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Narince. While the latter four Turkish grapes are fairly familiar Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, and Karasakız may not be. But these varieties have grown on Bozcaada for centuries. The Island of

  Some time ago a friend of mine threw a dinner party. In addition to her amazing food she also had wines from one of my favorite Turkish producers, Suvla, on hand. Including the Suvla Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. Quality at every level Suvla is a family owned wine producer established by Pınar Ellialtı and Selim Zafer Ellialtı in 2003. The vineyards are nestled in the historical Peninsula of Gallipoli, between the North Aegean coast and the Sea of Marmara where they cultivate a wide variety of grapes. The whites include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, and Marsanne. The reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache Noir, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Noir.

  The story of USCA Winery began some 15 years ago when a group of friends, fascinated by the world of wine, decided to open their own winery.  Leaving behind their “city” lives and careers they moved to the Izmir district of Urla and in 2003 established their vineyards. Turkish bureaucracy is much like a vineyard…tangled, a bit dirty, and requiring a lot of patience. It was not until 2007 that USCA Winery was incorporated but the ensuing years gave the vineyards time to mature. If this wine is any indication though, that patience has paid off in spades. USCA Sonnet 76 2013 Sonnet 76 (the wine, not the verse from the Bard)

  Nif Vineyards has quickly joined the ranks of my favorite Turkish wineries. With an impressive range of styles, prices, and grapes, Nif makes creating quality wines look easy. Bottled Happiness Owned an operated by the Özcan family, this 500-decare vineyard sits in Bağyurdu, Kemalpaşa in the heart of İzmir. The Özcan family chose to build a gravity-fed winery to provide a more gentle production of their chateau-style wines.  They focus primarily on foreign grapes, as many others do. However, while so many produce French, Nif also prides itself on Italian grape varieties and wine styles. Not to say that they ignore native grapes because that is not at all the case. They also produce wines using

  I tasted this 2012 Selendi Sarnıç Merlot at a wine tasting with Şarap Atölyesi. Of course I’m not going to buy a Merlot on purpose. I have to say though that for a Merlot this wasn’t all that bad. We tasted several wines from Selendi’s Sarnıç line during this wine tasting. Sarnıç being the village where this Akhisar-based winery grows its Merlot grapes at 850 meters. This is also one of Selendi’s organic wines. Like many other wine-making countries making organic wine is still a burgeoning concept but one pursued passionately by winemakers like Barbare and Chateau Nuzun who are dedicated to making all organic wines. Selendi Sarnıç Merlot 2012 Tasting Notes This is

  In 2010 Lucian Arkas purchased Idol Wines, renaming it LA Wines. Subsequently he went on to plant one of Turkey’s largest organic vineyards. Located on 288,62 acres in Torbali, Izmir LA Wines focuses on cultivating international varieties.  Among those are Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Marselan, Ugni Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Misket; some of which are exclusive to their vineyards. Since his purchase of Idol Lucian Arkas has turned his Domaine Lucian Arkas into a booming, organic wine industry. He produces more than 20 wines under five labels including the original Idol: Consensus, Mon Rêve, Antre, Smyrna, and Idol. LA Wines Consensus Sangiovese 2012 Tasting Notes The Consensus Sangiovese is a limited bottling