Diren Collection Narince 2012
Diren Winery, located in the northern part of Anatolia in the Black Sea region is one of Turkey’s older wineries. Sourcing grapes predominately from its vineyards in Tokat, Diren has been making wine for 60 years.
Diren was founded in 1958 by Mustafa Vasfi Diren who took his love for wine and transformed it into a family legacy. Largely self-educated in winemaking, he visited vineyards in Europe to learn their techniques and collaborated with the Agriculture Department of Ankara University. He continued to learn and perfect the crafts of viticulture and vinification until 1985, when his son Ali Diren took over the reins at the winery. Diren now takes great pride in producing wine from native grape varieties. 
Tokat and the Black Sea Region
Turkey’s Black Sea region makes up the northernmost part of the country. Bordered by the Black Sea to the North, Turkey’s Marmara region to the west, Central and East Anatolia to the south, and Georgia in the east, this region stretches almost the entire length of the country. The Tokat province has a long history going back to its establishment by the Hittites. If you visit Tokat now you won’t find any Hittites but you can visit the Tokat Castle, an Ottoman citadel with 28 towers that looms over the town. It was in one of this castle’s towers where Vlad the Impaler, aka Count Dracula, was supposed imprisoned and tortured.
Tokat is also the northernmost wine growing region in Turkey. However a mild maritime climate and aluvial to chalky soils around Tokat and Amasya lend great character to Turkish varietals Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Narince. It is in fact the home of the Narince grape.
Narince, the ‘Delicate’ Grape
Narince is perhaps the most ubiquitous of the native white Turkish vitis vinifera. While it’s native home is Tokat, it is cultivated across Turkey including in the Aegean and Thracian regions. Narince has large, oval, yellowish-green, bronze-tinted berries and grows in large conical clusters with one or two shoulders.
A somewhat late ripening berry, Narince is harvested in the second half of September which provides a unique challenge to many winemakers. The vast majority of Narince vineyards in Tokat are owned not by wineries but third party growers who sell the grapes to winemakers and the leaves to other companies. Stuffed grape leaves (sarma) are made not only traditionally but almost exclusively with the leaves from Narince grapes. Unfortunately the leaves reach peak ripeness and are harvested long before grapes leaving them exposed to risks of disease and sun and wind burn. Diren is one of the few wineries with its own vineyards in Tokat and can therefore protect its grapes until full ripeness. Its Collection Narince is the seminal Narince wine in Turkey.
Narince, which translates as “delicately” in Turkish, has an aroma profile including: orange, grapefruit, lime, white pineapple, quince, floral, plumeria, acacia, fruit blossom, basil, ripe green apple, and walnut. Like Chardonnay it is a flexible grape that can be made into a variety of styles from aromatic and steely when aged in stainless steel to complex and creamy with flavors of vanilla, caramel, and toasted nuts when aged in oak.
Diren Collection Narince 2012 Tasting Notes
The Collection Narince by Diren is an easy medium-bodied wine. With 13% ABV it leans medium but its delicate structure and feminine aromas give the deceptive impression of delicacy.
The nose displays a beautifully perfumed character with white flowers, citrus, and warm tropical fruits. In the mouth the wine is balanced with flavors that reflect the nose. If it ended there then I would say this was a nice, simple wine. But it does not. What is perhaps a hint of oak influence combined with how well this wine has aged lends a second dimension in the long finish which reveals deeper flavors of lightly toasted hazelnut, vanilla, and spice.
Diren is one of the few wineries in Turkey to not just source its Narince grapes from their home in Tokat but to also have its own dedicated vineyards there. For many, this is the “true” taste of Narince. I do not know if that is true or not. What I do know is true is that this wine is thoroughly worth checking out!