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Dance Along with Arda Dokuz Sekiz

 

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Not all wine names are obvious immediately (or at all!) until you ask about the story behind them. One of my favorite Turkish wine name stories is that of the Arcadia 333. But Arda Dokuz Sekiz has a pretty great one too.

Dokuz Sekiz – 9/8

The name here is actually pretty simple – dokuz sekiz means nine eight and refers to the 9/8 music time signature. Music written in 9/8 time has nine beats per measure with each beat being an eighth note. Meaning that, even if not all the notes are an eighth note, the notes in each measure will add up to nine eighth notes.

Okay, that’s cool. But why that name?

The Saç family, particularly wine scholar and winery manager Yavuz Saç, are particularly invested in the local culture in Edirne where the winery is. Including the style of music played by the local gypsy people…which is played in 9/8 time. This wine especially is also the one often ordered by local event halls to serve at weddings and other such celebrations where music is featured!

Arda Dokuz Sekiz, 2022

What is the Dokuz Sekiz then? Arda makes two, a white and a red, both blends. These are Arda’s table wines but, particularly in the case of the white, their performance outstrips the amazingly modest price (under 200 TL from Carrefour as of this summer). The white is a classic Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

Clean, pale lemon with platinum highlights in the glass, offering aromas of sweet Meyer lemon and pear blossom.

Dry with fresh acidity, bright flavors of lemon, crunchy pear, citrus blossom and white flowers are just far far too easy to drink! 

Is it the most complex wine in the world? Well no, because it’s a simple table wine meant to be enjoyed for what it is – refreshing and quaffable, especially when drunk with some jaunty music!