Organized by Sabiha Apaydın in coordination with the Georgian Wine Association, the Georgian Wine in Focus masterclass returned to Istanbul last week. And before anyone stops reading thinking we can't get these wines in Turkey
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My adventures with Turkish wine importer, Fine Turkish Wine, continue! Well at least the writing of them does, the adventures themselves ended in November. And it's taking ever so much longer to write about these visits than it took to make them! After two days in Trakya (aka Thrace), visiting first Arcadia, then Arda and Gürbüz Winery we headed for the Aegean. In this region, our first stop was Kuzubağ, then we went on to Heraki, and then on to Kastro Tireli which hosted a mega tasting for us. Kastro Tireli It's been many years since I last visited Kastro Tireli, and I'm glad we were following José. I vividly recall
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I don't usually write about French wine. There are more than enough people already doing so. However, I do like to make exceptions when I find something weird and/or wonderful. The Albert Boxler Chasselas very much falls into that 'wonderful' category. Chasselas is one of those grapes I've read about but never thought to be able to taste. Until, that is, I found myself in Colmar in France's Alsace. Buried among the bottles of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir were a few grapes that often fall into the "other" category. Including this Chasselas. It was probably the least expensive bottle I bought on that trip. But
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How I've never posted about this wine before is really beyond me. Sometimes, something is so obvious that you just assume you did it. Better late than never! When people think about island wines, minds reach out to Greece, the Canary Islands, Italy. As much as 'wine' and 'Turkey' rarely enter people's thoughts at the same time, 'island wines' and 'Turkey' cross paths even more rarely. And yet, Turkey has islands and they produce wine. Wines from Avşa often get overlooked and little makes it off Gökçeada, but Bozcaada is a different story. While rarely explored in depth, Turkish island wines have made a name for themselves locally. Much of that
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With the up and down weather this winter, there's no way to predict if spring will come in like a lamb or a lion. Regardless which animal the season decides to imitate, personally, I just hope it sticks to the one personality. They say spring is not for the faint-hearted, so we need to gird our loins, grab a good bottle, and prepare for the battle. What does this month have in store for each of us? Read on to find out! If you're not somewhere with easy access to Turkish wine, don't hesitate to reach out (to me, the universe doesn't always respond to email) for alternative recommendations. Aries (March
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While there are plenty of Shiraz notes from both Turkey and Australia waiting to be written up, I wanted to shake things up a bit. Australia has been gaining a reputation for Viognier over the years while it's still largely unknown in Turkey. Despite its rarity in Turkey, we have some excellent examples here. Since I just happened to have a bottle of Viognier from Australia, why not pit them against one another? Viognier Viognier it seems is a bit of a struggle to work with. Not in a Pinot Noir prima donna way, but it is not disposed to producing healthy or bountiful grapes and is prone to coulure (uneven
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My adventures with Turkish wine importer, Fine Turkish Wine, continue! Well at least the writing of them does, the adventures themselves ended in November. And it's taking ever so much longer to write about these visits than it took to make them! After two days in Trakya (aka Thrace), visiting first Arcadia, then Arda and Gürbüz Winery we headed for the Aegean. In this region, our first stop was Kuzubağ, and then we were on to Heraki. And buckle up, this post turned out much longer than I anticipated! [caption id="attachment_22367" align="alignright" width="500"] Çal vineyards by Rob İçsezen[/caption] Heraki Heraki Wines is, at its heart, a love story. First between its founders,
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[caption id="attachment_22306" align="alignright" width="300"] Serving 'enrobed wine' fabulosity & drama[/caption] Disclaimer: This post includes wines received as a sample. All opinions are my own. Enrobed wine
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Well, we've made it one month into the new year. Hopefully we all made it through relatively unbruised. Now, as we head into the darkest of winter (or the hellish depths of summer depending on where you are!) we more than ever need some good news and good wine to cheers us, warm (or cool!) us, and give us the courage to soldier on. So, what does this month have in store for each of us? Read on to find out! Aries (March 21 - April 19) February asks you to slow your roll just enough to aim better. You’re still driven, but this month is about strategy over speed. A
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My adventures with Turkish wine importer, Fine Turkish Wine, continue! Well at least the writing of them does, the adventures themselves ended in November. And it's taking ever so much longer to write about these visits than it took to make them! After two days in Trakya (aka Thrace), visiting first Arcadia, then Arda and Gürbüz Winery we headed for the Aegean. First stop, Kuzubağ! Kuzubağ Kuzubağ Şaraphane is one of the new generation wineries working to raise the profile of the Çal region. More than just a member of the Çal Bağ Yolu, Kuzubağ is (in my considerable opinion), the best of them. A family-run affair, the Kuzu family
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