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White Wine

HomeWhite Wine (Page 30)

  The Turkish wine industry remains largely isolated. I still spend a lot of time saying "Yes, Turkey makes wine. Turkey has been making wine since the Hittites ruled Anatolia." This isolation is not of the industry's making or desire but has been imposed on it. Bans against advertising mean most wineries don't have websites. Wine tourism remains very much on the down low. Winemakers have difficulty exporting. The tax burden on alcohol (to both producer and consumer) increases every year. And the climate the current government has created does no favors for the industry. And yet; Turkish wineries and winemakers are paying attention. Trends may arrive here a

  On Turkey's Bozcaada shelters several wineries from the strong winds that sweep across the island. A mix of native and international grapes grow here. Some on traditional goblet vines to help protect the grapes from the winds. Wineries have also used natural windbreakers on the island, such as lines of pine trees, that allow them to trellis grapes. One island winery, that uses these different methods to cultivate a mix of native and international grapes is Amadeus MMX. When selecting varieties to plant, owner Oliver Gareis wanted to not only plant grapes he enjoyed, but that would do well on the island. After planting the local Vasilaki (in fact

  One good thing to have come out of the Corona pandemic is that WSET now allows students to take the levels 1 and 2 tests online. I squeaked through level 1 here in Istanbul. But levels 1 and 2 are offered only in Turkish here. I do not trust my Turkish is decent enough to manage the level 2 test. The testing taking requirements for the exam are beyond ridiculous. But perhaps more on that later. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the homework. The WSET homework is ever so much more delightful than the homework I did at university. Every week those of us in the course have to

  As summer heats up Istanbul I remember with some fondness the bone chilling cold when I visited Graz a few years ago. I try to go somewhere in Europe every year for the Christmas markets. Sadly, this year I probably won't be able to go anywhere. Which makes me feel even more nostalgic for past trips such as this. Before this trip I'd never been to Graz. Austria, yes. Several times. But never Graz.  I chose Graz for this trip entirely based on one event the city holds during its Christmas market: the Krampus Lauf. Never heard of it? Not surprised. It's a pretty Austrian/Bavarian tradition. Krampus is the

  [caption id="attachment_14586" align="alignright" width="300"] At Cinque with Baby[/caption] For most people Greece, especially Athens, means ancient gods, lots of marble columns, islands, and maybe gyros. I've been to the ruins. I've been to an island (although just the one). And I must eat two or three pork gyros (seriously, go to Royal Souvlaki) every time I visit. But for me, Greece means friends and wine. E&M, two of my best friends, moved to Athens a few years ago. For a while I was visiting once every six to eight months. Then this last September they had a baby. Suddenly I'm tia Andrea to a baby who lives geographically much closer than my

  I, like many people, have had my spring/summer travel plans interrupted by COVID-19. In May I was going to return to Budapest. I've been to Hungary a couple few times over the years but last summer I went for the first time for a dedicated wine trip. I've been wanting to go back ever since. [caption id="attachment_14561" align="alignright" width="300"] Budapest synagogue[/caption] On my trip last summer I arranged private tours of the Tokaj and Somló/Badascony wine regions through Taste Hungary. Several days I also dedicated to Budapest itself. Nothing much traditionally touristy having both been there and done that a few times. Probably the only semi-touristy thing I did was

  It has been so long since I've been to Moldova that I don't even remember what year it was. 2009? Maybe 2010? For a brief couple years I was in Moldova, mostly Chisinau, not infrequently visiting for work. Any free time I had was spent with my local colleagues touring churches and the like. While this was long before I became involved in wine, I was even then conscious of the wine industry there.  Unfortunately, the relatively quick in and out trips and only a passing interest in wine meant that I missed huge opportunities to experience more and learn more about Moldovan wine. Enter Jeff with Food Wine

  [caption id="attachment_14549" align="alignright" width="300"] Park in Bad Homburg[/caption] As part of my ongoing meandering down memory lane, I can across a bunch of pictures from my last trip to Germany. I've been to Germany a handful of times since college. First on a summer study abroad learning German at the Sprachinstitut Deutschland in Tübingen. I've passed through a number of times since then but my last trip was a handful of years ago. I went to visit a friend who'd move to Bad Homburg, a suburb of Frankfurt. In the midst of the multi-lingual trip (English, German, and very bad Serbian-on my part-in their home and German and Italian on

  [caption id="attachment_14489" align="alignleft" width="300"] Chreli Abano sulfur baths[/caption] Georgia is a perennial favorite destination of mine. I like to go at least once every other year or so. Past trips have been to visit wine regions like Kakheti; once to see the Pope and meet the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church; another time for a wine festival. My last trip was a whirlwind three and a half days in Tbilisi for an eating and drinking extravaganza. When I'm in Tbilisi I'm generally pretty lazy about where I go. I already have a handful of favored restaurants and wine bars (Vino Underground, g.Vino, Pastorali, Azarphesha to name a few) so I

  While I have been extremely lucky during this COVID pandemic, in that I have neither been sick and have kept my job; it is not to say that I'd not getting itchy feet. [caption id="attachment_14476" align="alignleft" width="300"] Taken inside the Bridge of Sighs, Venice[/caption] Some borders are opening back up and people are tentatively planning travel. I cannot wait to get out of Istanbul having missed planned trips to Hungary and Greece. However, I believe I'll be stuck a little while longer yet. Europe is slowly opening but restrictions on people coming from Turkey are strict. And fair enough. The government here did a crap job to control the spread