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White Wine

HomeWhite Wine (Page 36)

  I have an excellent friend here in Istanbul who is Austrian. Through her generosity, I have learned a great deal about Austrian wine over the last two years. Even though she mocks (albeit gently) my pronunciation of “Grüner Veltliner“, she nonetheless is always on the look out for new wine to bring back from Austria to share with me. The König of Grapes [caption id="" align="alignright" width="275"] photo from AustrianWine.com[/caption] Grüner Veltliner is THE Austrian grape. A case could be made for the black variety Zweigelt, but in the end, Grüner Veltliner holds the title. The grape has been known in Austria since the 18th Century. In 2003 it became the only white grape

  The popularity of blanc de noir wines (white wine made with black grapes) is on the rise in Turkey. The wines are made with everything from native to international varieties in both still and sparkling styles. Thracian winery Vino Dessera has thrown its hat in the ring with two different wines. Affordable Luxury Vino Dessera was established in 2012, but to understand the full story of these fields we need to jump a little further back. When the owner’s first grandchild was born, abiding by a very thoughtful Anatolian tradition, he planted approximately 600 walnut trees along the green slopes of Thrace. And, as it turns out, he never stopped.

  Datça Vineyard and Winery, conveniently located on the same named peninsula in southern Turkey, is a small, family-run winery. Here they make wine for the love of it but are perfectly poised to take advantage of the tourist rich area. The Datça Peninsula Located along the Aegean coast between famous resort areas of Bodrum and Fethiye, the Datça (dat-cha) Peninsula is a long, narrow peninsula that is a combination of fjords and beaches, uninhabited mountains, and fertile plains and valleys. Easily accessed via a picturesque (albeit long) drive from the mainland or regular ferries from Bodrum, the area offers a fair amount of attractive activities for tourists. Beaches, a charming

  More and more Turkey is becoming a great country for Sauvignon Blanc. The diverse microclimates and terroirs contribute to a wide range of personalities for this wine. Steely, Chablis-like Sauvignon Blanc from producers like Saranta and Doseluna; ripe and rich examples like those from Umurbey and Porta Caeli; classy fumé blanc styles like Chamlija’s and Sevilen’s; and even a botrytized dessert wine from Arcadia. We have them all. Urla Winery Urla Winery, located in the same named Izmir province, also has a Sauvignon Blanc in the game. The winery sits on approximately 350 acres of vineyard. At Urla they are committed to following good agricultural practices. In addition to protecting natural resources; they also aim to

  Nearby the famous ruins of Greco-Roman city Ephesus sits the southern Aegean winery Yedi Bilgeler. It was almost fated that owner Bilge Yamen, who hails from the northeastern city Kars, should establish his winery mere kilometers from this ancient city. Kars and Selçuk, where Ephesus can be found today, are separated by more than just distance (1,689 kilometers to be exact). Kars is located in the very northeastern corner of Turkey’s Anatolia very near the border with Armenia. Kars has a humid continental climate with significant differences between summer and winter temperatures. High elevation, long, cold winters buried under snow, and brief mild summers are not conducive to grape

  I firmly believe that sparkling wines should not be drunk only on special occasions. However, they are still my first choice for celebrations! Happily here in Turkey there is a wide range of locally produced sparkling wine. Made with a variety of grapes and methods there’s one for everyone’s taste and pocketbook* preference! Pamukkale Sava Premium Yarı Köpüren Region: Aegean Grape(s): Sultaniye Style: Blanc de blanc Vintage: 2017 ABV: 12.5% Price: 29 TRY Method: CO2 This falls more in line with frizzante-style wine that has a lower pressure and therefore fewer and softer bubbles. Nose is fruity full of peaches and mango. The palate is frothy with a slight chemical bitterness and medium finish. Very fruity, lots of

  Gülor Winery, founded in 1993 by Güler Sabancı, has the distinction of being one of Turkey’s first boutique wineries. It has grown a lot since the vineyards were planted in 1996. The winery now produces some 200,000 liters annually. While perhaps no longer boutique in size, Gülor remains boutique at heart. The winery has worked with several expert French winemakers since its inception. Since 2012 it has been in the hands of Antoine Bastide d’Izard. He has said of Gülor:  “Gülor is one of the rare boutique wineries in Turkey offering original and high-quality blends of both international and local grapes,” Gülor’s winery sits on an estate of 100 hectares located in the Thracian subregion Tekirdağ on

  Central Anatolia is famous for being the home of Cappadocia. Even if you’ve never been to Turkey you’ve probably seen pictures of the “fairy chimneys”, cave churches, and sunrise hot air balloons. But have you heard of the wine? Vinolus is a boutique producer in Kayseri, near Cappadocia, making unique wines from organically grown grapes. Oluş Molu, Vinolus’s charming proprietor, and her brother Aziz took over the family farm in the early aughts to create the first ecological farm in Turkey. Included in this project are the 50 acres (20 ha) planted to the native Kalecik Karası and Narince grapes as well as international varieties: Chardonnay, Roussanne, Shiraz, and Tempranillo

  Verona is one of my favorite cities. Medieval charm highlighted by Roman ruins all within reach of the Soave vineyards. When it comes to Soave, it does not get much more charming than Coffele. The Coffele family is dedicated to the protection and conservation of the land.  It’s not then a surprise then that Coffele was the first certified organic estate in the Soave DOC. The estate consists of 25 hectares largely dedicated to Garganega (gar-GAH-neh-gah). The vineyards sit at a height of 400 meters. The upper-most contain volcanic (basaltic) soils giving wines body and complexity. The southern soils are more calcareous providing wines with higher acidity, finesse and longevity. The concept of

  I am so pleased to say that I’ve had my first article on Culinary Backstreets published today! Culinary Backstreets does so much to bring attention to the stories of unsung food and drinks heroes who often get overlooked in favor of the fancy, trendy, and chain restaurants. They tell the stories of small family restaurants and hidden away gems known only to locals. By doing this, they highlight what many of us forget when we eat and drink out-the human element behind the magic. In my article, Grape Expectations: Finding Affordable (and Drinkable) Turkish Wine in Istanbul(click to follow the link!) I talk about some of the wine bars and restaurants