Get to Know the Grape: Fersun
Summer red-wine drinkers meet your new best friend, Fersun!
Fersun (fehr-soon) is a recently rescued from extinction native Turkish grape. Grown exclusively by Likya Şarapları, (who also did the rescuing), not a great deal is known yet about Fersun’s ampelographic background. But it does seem to be native to Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya.
This pale, purple-red grape creates light to medium bodied wines redolent of pomegranate, blackberry, strawberry, black currant leaf, tomato leaf, bay leaf, black tea, black pepper, and violet. Low in tannin and with medium acidity, its wines are perfect to drink lightly chilled.
Food Pairing
For as much as we don’t know about the origins of this wine, what we do know is how incredibly food-friendly it is! And, since it drinks well when a little chilled, it’s a perfect wine to pair with summer barbecues and picnics. This wine loves burgers, chicken wings, grilled chicken and vegetables, and even pizza! For your picnic basket or topping your burgers, try Fersun with Gruyère, gouda, manchego, mild cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, or Tomme.
Outside of your summer grilling, Fersun drinks well with meats like beef, lamb, and pork, does well with stuffed vegetables and in fact, vegetables of all kinds. Try it with lentils and white beans, eggplant, green peppers, mushrooms, root vegetables, and tomatoes. Don’t forget about the spices either! Cook with allspice, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, pomegranate vinegar, sumac, and smoke for a great pairing.
Producers to check out
Well…there really is only one I’m sad to say! Likya Şarapları.
Click to see my reviews of Fersun wines.