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Aegean Tag

HomePosts tagged "Aegean" (Page 15)

By 1Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Despite the ever growing number of native white grape varieties in Turkey, Chardonnay along with Sauvignon Blanc remain very popular. Chardonnay here went through quite a journey. For many years the wines displayed excessive oak influence that drowned out any possible fruit or freshness. However, the last few years have seen the rise of Chardonnay wines that express fruit and vibrancy as well as those with complexity from responsible oak ageing. Over the last few months I have enjoyed a number of Chardonnays from the young and fresh all the way to sparkling. Sevilen İsa Bey Chardonnay, 2019 One of Sevilen's most successful lines, the İsa Bey series includes varietal

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Just because the weather has turned hot and summery does not mean red wine lovers should despair of not comfortably drinking red wines! Many light-bodied red wines do well with a little chilling. Often, these are brilliant wines to pair with grilled foods, barbecue sauces, and general outdoor summer revelry! Turkey offers several light-bodied red wines appropriate for both chilling and grilling. A perfect opportunity to try out a few of these came up recently when Istanbites suggested a cook out at her place on the largest of Istanbul's Princes Islands: Büyükada. A weekend with the girls poolside with wine and burgers? Yes please! Empathia Creative and I packed

By 0Amber Wine, Amphora, Orange Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  The Turkish wine industry remains largely isolated. I still spend a lot of time saying "Yes, Turkey makes wine. Turkey has been making wine since the Hittites ruled Anatolia." This isolation is not of the industry's making or desire but has been imposed on it. Bans against advertising mean most wineries don't have websites. Wine tourism remains very much on the down low. Winemakers have difficulty exporting. The tax burden on alcohol (to both producer and consumer) increases every year. And the climate the current government has created does no favors for the industry. And yet; Turkish wineries and winemakers are paying attention. Trends may arrive here a

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  On Turkey's Bozcaada shelters several wineries from the strong winds that sweep across the island. A mix of native and international grapes grow here. Some on traditional goblet vines to help protect the grapes from the winds. Wineries have also used natural windbreakers on the island, such as lines of pine trees, that allow them to trellis grapes. One island winery, that uses these different methods to cultivate a mix of native and international grapes is Amadeus MMX. When selecting varieties to plant, owner Oliver Gareis wanted to not only plant grapes he enjoyed, but that would do well on the island. After planting the local Vasilaki (in fact

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  One good thing to have come out of the Corona pandemic is that WSET now allows students to take the levels 1 and 2 tests online. I squeaked through level 1 here in Istanbul. But levels 1 and 2 are offered only in Turkish here. I do not trust my Turkish is decent enough to manage the level 2 test. The testing taking requirements for the exam are beyond ridiculous. But perhaps more on that later. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the homework. The WSET homework is ever so much more delightful than the homework I did at university. Every week those of us in the course have to

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I'm one of those annoying people who has to touch everything when they go through clothing and housewares stores. Although I am certainly trying to control the impulse during these days of COVID-19. But I'm a very tactile person. I learn by doing, not by seeing for example. And how things feel is critical for me. I might like the look of a dress or even a couch cover but the feel of the material is ultimately even more important than the look. For that reason, I particularly enjoy textural wines and one of the reasons why, for years Cabernet Sauvignon was among my go-to grapes. I drank a

By 2Rose Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Certainly we live in strange times now. I was one of those naive people who thought, or at least hoped, we'd achieve normalcy by summer. That's definitely not happening; especially not here in Turkey. Turkey never did a proper quarantine. We had half-assed weekend lock downs for a few weeks before grumbling about the failing economy had even those lifted. Masks are now mandatory at all times. Less than half of people wear them properly or at all. Whatever social distancing people obeyed in the beginning is merely a memory. Weekend boats to the Princes Islands are as beyond capacity packed as ever. We have between 7,000 and

By 0Red Wine, Rose Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I continued my online wine tasting series last Friday with one of my favorite Turkish grapes, Öküzgözü.  Öküzgözü wasn't always a favorite of mine. In fact for a long time I avoided it; finding it too insipid for my preferences. This is Turkey's most widely planted native black variety. Which means the chances for encountering crap wines is pretty high; and I've drunk a lot of those. However, a couple years ago I came across a boutique producer, Eskibağlar. That one wine changed my whole view about Öküzgözü and I began actively seeking out examples from around the country.  This grape originates in the Eastern Anatolia province of Elazığ. Vineyards abound

By 1Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Sauvignon Blanc enjoys great popularity in Turkey. It, along with Chardonnay, are not only the two most popular white wines here; they're even more commonly found than any of the native white grapes. Wineries across the country cultivate the grape but it's largest production is in Turkey's Aegean in Denizli. And with summer's warm temperatures approaching I'm getting thirsty for some Sauvignon Blanc! [caption id="attachment_14368" align="alignleft" width="300"] Denizli Vineyards[/caption] While all these Sauvignon Blanc wines are from Aegean region wineries; not all are created equally of course. However, the below wines are all great examples within their respective price ranges. Pamukkale Anfora Series For the more budget conscious people is the Sauvignon

By 0Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sparkling Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  After the Bornova Misketi taste along went so well I moved on to one of my favorite Turkish black grapes, Kalecik Karası. Not only is this purported to be the most age worthy grape, it's also one of the most flexible. In addition to making great reds that reflect their terroir, Kalecik Karası can also be used for blanc de noirs, rosé, and even sparkling wines. While I miss having people physically present for the tastings (if not all the dishes after!) I am really loving doing this online. Now I can reach so many more people! I had people from Athens and Belgium in the Bornova Misketi tasting