Your February 2024 Turkish Wine Horoscope
If you haven’t checked your calendar yet, you might not have noticed that this year is a leap year! Hello, rarely seen February 29. Julius Caesar instituted leap year back in 45 BC. By adding a single day every four years, he created a more or less consistent solar calendar. Like any oddity, leap year has a number of its own traditions and superstitions, many of them related to relationships! For example, apparently not only was is considered acceptable for women to propose to men on a leap day, the men could not refuse! It’s said that Queen Margaret even imposed a fine for men who would deny a woman’s leap day proposal. Meanwhile in Greece, people believe it bad luck to get married or divorced during a leap year. So, make sure to check your horoscope regularly for relationship advice this year!
Winter seems to have finally arrived in Istanbul so it might not be a surprise that the universe is recommending red wine for a lot of you. To find out what you should be drinking this month, read on!
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
A ferociously intense air swirls around you this month, Aquarius. You may have even felt the first breezes last month, gathering force at the end of January. Much of February will be about you strategizing and working your way through the pressure that’s been building within you. No matter the context, spend this time prioritizing and focusing on your holistic wellness. Nourish your mind, body and spirit to help navigate the big changes ahead. You’ve got this.
The wine for you …
The universe has not set an easy path for you this month. That’s why you need an easy wine. Try Paşaeli Kolorko. Nothing complicated here; just a nice quaffable white wine perfect for sipping on your balcony or along the sahil. Refreshing with notes of red apple, citrus, and mineral, this is one thing you don’t have to think overly hard about this month.
Likely found at Carrefour, Casa Botti, Dekante, Grape Wine Spirits Boutique, Macro Center, and Mensis Mahzen.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Winter sucks. Even if you’re one of those strange people who likes snow…it’s cold, most of the “day” is dark and grey. It’s really making you want to hunker down and hermit your way through February. If you have the flexibility to do so, let yourself! Okay, not all month. But take some time every day (if you can) or even once a week to cocoon yourself in blankets and silence or soothing music. Practices like breathwork and meditation (try some yoga nidra) can be especially helpful right now so you don’t overburden your nervous system.
The wine for you …
You’ll want to sip something with depth and interest while you’re in your blanket cocoon this month. You need the Mozaik Mahrem Ekigaïna. Mozaik produces wine with some of the weirdest grapes we see in Turkey and it’s hard to get weirder than Ekigaïna – of which there are less than five hectares planted around the world. In addition to being from off the beaten path though, this a fascinating wine full of flavors and layers. You’ll discover something new in each sip.
As rare as the leap year itself, look for it at Mensis Mahzen and Rind to buy, Wayana and Beyoğlu Şaraphanesi to drink.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Your new year new you rebuilding continues this month, Aries with a deeper look into your life’s principles, values, and beliefs. Your changing outlook will begin spilling over into your personal relationships this month and, as your outlook changes, so will those relationships. Some will be easy and fluid, others might result in rifts and tension. Look at these, not as break ups, but as opportunities to grow and evolve together with the people in your life. And even to meet new people.
The wine for you …
Wineries view on Bornova Misketi has changed quite a lot over the last 10-15 years. Wine went from being somewhat insipid and nearly always sweet or semi-sweet, to series dry wines with big personalities. My personal favorite, and what you should be drinking this month, USCA Sonnet 5 Bornova Misketi. A dry wine with lots of nice acidity, structure, and flavor, it’ll help you get through this complicated month.
Find it at places like Comedus, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, possibly Santé Wine & More, Dekante, Casa Botti, etc.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
What do you want to be when you grow up? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pirate. However, lack of demand has shifted my life goals somewhat. A lot of people think it’s too late to decide what you want to be if you’re past college-age. Not true, it’s never to late to define (or redefine) who you are. The key, is to think about how you want to be remembered, or what it is you want to leave behind. 
The wine for you …
One winery that knows a lot about legacy is Doluca. Not only is it one of the oldest wineries in the country, it also grew out of an even older winery, and is currently in the hands of the third generation of the Kutman family. And they feel deeply the need to honor their family legacy. This month, try the Doluca Tuğra Boğazkere and let it inspire you in your own journey this month to find your own legacy.
You should be able to find it in many places like Carrefour, Macro Center, Migros, local tekels, Dekante, La Cave, etc, etc.
Gemini (May 20 – June 20)
The process of questioning your beliefs from time to time further shapes your understanding of the world and your place in it. This month, part of that questioning is transforming and deepening where and from whom you access guidance and wisdom. This process rarely feels comfortable and inevitably involves growing pains, but will ultimately lead to good things. It shows your capacity to expand and evolve as a human being.
The wine for you …
To soften the blow of this month’s growing pains, try an interesting, but easy drinking wine like Selendi Gülpembe. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Shiraz, this wine offers bright acidity and flavors and good structure. No insipid rosé here!
*Note: the picture is an older label, Selendi has since rebranded.
Look for it at places like Carrefour, Macro Center, Iyi Sarap, Mensis Mahzen, Dekante, etc.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
The real test of resilience is not how how straight and firm you can stand when the gales try to blow you down; but how much you bend to allow the wind to move around you. How you accept the losses you experience can create wisdom and good skills to help you react better to future road bumps. Change (for good or bad) is inevitable but the more you build your strength and learn to bend, the more resilient and invulnerable you’ll become.
The wine for you …
As much as I don’t fully believe in Darwinism / only the fit survive (there are way too many stupid people roaming the earth for this to be true!) nature does have ways to survive when conditions are difficult. To see this in action, visit Bozcaada. You will notice that many of the trees here, especially the olive trees, seem to grow sideways! They do not actually grow sideways, but have slowly over the years bowed to the greater force of the wind the sweeps almost violently over the island. Follow this resilience theme this month with your wine and drink the Corvus Vinium Karalahn from Bozcaada.
You can often find it at Carrefour, Iyi Sarap, La Cave, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Online Mahzen, and Rind.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
People in your life are going through major difficulties / emotional upheaval. As a result, so are you because you’re going through it with them. Take this opportunity to investigate any festering hurts or issues and completely lance those wounds. If nothing else, at least be willing to be open and communicate with people so you can take steps forward together. Not only will you help them with their situation, you will improve the quality of and strengthen your relationship. 
The wine for you …
Relationships are tricky, even those that are with things, not people. Such as Turkey’s relationship with wine…I think we can all agree that’s complicated to say the least. Even wineries themselves have their own fraught relationship with native grapes with many wineries choosing international grapes over Turkish. One winery slowly turning away from that paradigm is 7Bilgeler which has begun churning out wines with native grapes. This month then, try the 7Bilgeler Vindemia Toprak Öküzgözü. Perhaps seeing what this winery has done will provide you with inspiration and motivation in your own journey.
Look for it at Casa Botti, Grape Wine Spirits Boutique, Iyi Sarap, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, possibly other places like Savoy Tekel, Dekante, etc.
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Virgo, you show up. When anyone needs something, at work, a friend needs emotional support, someone’s moving, starting a new business; it does not matter what. You show up. But how often are your efforts appreciated or even met with a simple “thank you”? If you’re pouring out your energy to help and please other people without getting even a thank you, then why do you keep pushing yourself? From whom are you wanting validation? Time to reassess your priorities, dear Virgo.
The wine for you …
It can be difficult to find a wine that can also be counted on to show up every time. One winery that you can count on to have consistent quality (and fair prices!) is Ma’Adra. So, this month, try the always beautiful Ma’Adra Pinot Noir! This baby never disappoints and you may even discover a new favorite.
Pretty confident that you can find this at Mensis Mahzen, La Cave, and Comedus, possibly also at Casa Botti and Grape Wine Spirits Boutique. It should be more places.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Fear of rejection rules more people than most of us would think. Almost everyone worries they will be rebuffed during a social situation. But you, Libra, have allowed this fear to lead to a life forsaken of enjoyment and pleasure. Take this month to sit with yourself (or maybe talk to a professional?) and unpack how this avoidance is preventing you from experiencing the fullness of joy and love (of all kinds!) in your life. Think about some of the people to whom you feel drawn and try to emulate their behavior. Keep in mind that those people may not live free of rejection fear…but by deciding to live as though they are fear free, slowly become that way.
The wine for you …
Try something different this month with the Vinkara Winehouse Öküzgözü (Winehouse up til 2020, for newer vintages it’s called Atelier). The Winehouse/Atelier Öküzgözü blends together “young” wine with small amounts of wines made in both the Ripasso and passito methods giving this wine an entirely different personality from any other Öküzgözü you know.
Neither common nor particularly rare, your best place to look for this is Vinus (where you’ll likely also find the best price). Check also La Cave, maybe Macro Center, Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, maybe Metro.
Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)
Many of us assume that history, as written in books, is objective fact when the truer statement is that history is written by the victors and has a greatly subjective bent to it. Our memories can be the same.
Time changes the way we relate to memories of our past. You might remember some of the best times of your life happening when you were a teenager, but look back at your old journals and read about how horrible you felt at the time. Maybe you remember being too overweight during a certain point of your life but suddenly see a picture from then and realize that you actually looked quite fantastic. How can you reframe your current experiences, especially if you’re struggling, when you can imagine how your future self will remember this moment differently?
The wine for you …
Wine often evokes shadows of old memories. So, why not give yourself something good to remember this month with the Vinolus Kalecik Karası! With haunting echoes of Cappadocia’s volcanic terroir and made by one of the most talented winemakers in Turkey, this is a Kalecik Karası you will want to have linger in your memories and your dreams.
Look for it at Casa Botti, Dekante, La Cave, Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, Santè Wine & More, etc.
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)
Contentment and true satisfaction do not hinge on reaching one big life goal or moment. While your grandest experiences may be the brightest memories you have, the moments themselves pass fleetingly in the expanse of your life. What really creates a foundation for contentment you find in how you live your day-to-day life. If that feels mundane or uninspiring, then it is up to you to change that. 
The wine for you …
One way to start trading in your mundane day-to-day is to drink more interesting wines! More interesting doesn’t have to mean challenging or expensive. It can mean something as simple as branching out to different grapes. And speaking of different grapes…while on the one hand Chamlija considers itself the champion of Papazkarası, the rest of the winery’s energy seems to be focused on being the first to bring in grapes from other countries; to wit: Albariño, Mavrud, Assyrtiko, Xinomavro…and now the first major Hungarian grape in Turkey: Kadarka. Review coming soon(ish)!
Sadly it’s been too long since I’ve had a Kadarka so I can’t promise this tastes like one (the Albariño, Riesling, and Assyrtiko fall short of their promise) but it’s nice enough for what it is and, if you get it from Online Mahzen, not really pricey.
I don’t know where all has this yet except Online Mahzen for sure. Mensis Mahzen, Iyi Sarap, and Dekante are all likely places though. Santè Wine & More may carry it, possibly also Casa Botti.
Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)
Your touchstone word this month, Capricorn is stability. Stability, stability, stability. What it relates to: your energy, finances, or another aspect up your life, you need to figure out. All these are connected and important to your capacity to sustain your livelihood. While there are many layers to this, including societal systems which you have no direct control over, prioritize the areas of your life you can manage. What do you need so you are resourced enough?
The wine for you …
This month, drink the Midin Miras. Stability is one of the things Midin is trying to build in its community. Before the winery opened, many of the village families struggled financially and either weren’t able to sell their grapes at all, or had to sell them for low prices; so were considering ripping out the (very very old!) vines to plant more profitable/easy to sell crops. they’re hardly rolling in the money now, but one of the winery’s first actions was to offer all the villagers a premium price for their grapes to keep the old vines alive, and the village’s wine heritage alive.
Midin’s wines aren’t very widespread yet but you can check Mahzen 26 and Mensis Mahzen for sure. Try also Dekante, Casa Botti, Grape Wine Spirits Boutique, Metro, Macro Center…
Please Help Turkey and Syria!
Turkey and Syria are still in desperate need of help after the horrific earthquakes that have decimated large areas of Turkey’s south east and northern Syria, please consider donating to one of the relief efforts if you are able:
- Animal rights organization Haytap is helping animals affected by the earthquake, and displaced people who need a place to stay with their pets. Other animal-focused groups such as Dört Ayaklı Şehir (Four-Legged City) and Work Animals Rescue Foundation, are also helping farm animals, street animals, and pets.
- Donate to civil society groups working on the ground to provide immediate relief and medium- to long-term recovery to survivors via UK-based Turkey Mozaik Foundation or US-based Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
- Donate to the volunteer response being carried out in Turkey by the trusted, independent NGOs İhtiyaç Haritası (Needs Map) or Ahbap.
- Hayata Destek (Support to Life), is a Turkish NGO experienced in providing humanitarian relief and working with underserved communities.
- World Central Kitchen provides funds and food to those still living in tents in the affected areas.
- To support rescue efforts in Syria, donate to White Helmets and SAMS.
- Field Ready Türkiye (Sahaya Hazır İnovasyon Derneği) is a team of engineers working in Gaziantep, Turkey, and northwest Syria who make cheap, low-tech airbags for search and rescue from buildings which have collapsed. “If we move fast they can make more,” a good friend who previously worked with the team writes. “The workshops in Syria also have vast experience of fixing essential medical equipment, and making insulated shelters – both greatly needed right now”