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Aegean Tag

HomePosts tagged "Aegean" (Page 21)

After six years of living in this country, my Turkish language is still pretty crap. Partially because my day job is conducted 98% in English and because my Turkish friends all speak English far better than I speak Turkish. Really though, it’s just a terribly difficult language and my mind seems to reject all its weird grammar structures. I’ve studied Turkish over three different periods at three different language schools. Each time I restart, I get bumped down to a beginner level course and have to work my way back up to the advanced classes Wine, Like Language Many think learning a language with a different alphabet is scary and

Fumé Blanc and I are not friends. We do not get along well at all. I without exception prefer my Sauvignon Blanc fresh, clean, and oak free. However, I wanted to try Yazgan’s Vodina Fumé Blanc when I came across it. In the spirit of “don’t judge a book by its cover” I want to try everything. Just because I have not liked Fumé Blanc from…well literally anyone, doesn’t mean that I won’t like it in a wine I have yet to try. I mean, heck, I’ve come around to Merlot! So why not Fumé Blanc? The 2013 Vodina Fumé Blanc showed a pretty dark straw color that unfolded aromas of citrus oil, flowers,

It feels like forever since my last post! While I try to post every Wednesday and Sunday, I missed the previous two weeks due to travel. My day job occasionally pulls me back to DC so I can reconnect with the mother ship. Since I’d already crossed an ocean to get there I decided to go even farther west to Las Vegas. Not to visit any casinos though! Rather, to meet my bff’s new baby. Even though my trip did include some wine in both DC and Vegas (and a split of Champagne at the Denver airport I drank with Egg McMuffins-true story); I am happy to be

  Turkish Malbec? What? That can’t be right, you’re thinking. It pleases me to say that it is correct! Turkey makes Malbec. In fact, Malbec is cultivated in at least three of the eight wine regions. Only a handful of producers are making varietal Malbec but it appears pleasingly frequently in a number of blends. So how does Turkish Malbec stack up against Malbec giant Argentina or even hometown Cahors? Before we can dive into the wines themselves, let’s look at the regions where it grows; beginning with the most westerly region-Thrace. Thrace The Thrace (or Trakya in Turkish) growing region extends from Turkey’s borders with Bulgaria and Greece down to the

  Gemici Family Winery began as a couple of novice winemakers’ desire to share traditionally produced wine with visitors and wine lovers. It soon turned into a full-blown winery and concept store in the southern Izmir town Alaçatı. Gum and Wine Alaçatı, on the Çeşme Peninsula, is a charming town on the Aegean coast often noted for its architecture, vineyards and windmills. It’s a beach town and tourists arrive in droves, particularly in the summer, drawn to the relaxed feeling of the town, great windsurfing, and wine. In addition to wine, this area is famous in Turkey for its mastic production. A natural resin from the mastic tree, this gummy substance has a maple

  Established in 2002 by wine and beer importer Seyit Karagözoğlu, Paşaeli is, in my opinion, one of Turkey’s most valuable wineries. More than just creating quality wine, Paşaeli is of the Turkish wineries making huge efforts to revive rare and dying grape varieties. Resurrecting little known Turkish varieties While Paşaeli does turn out a couple of the Bordeaux-style blends that are endlessly popular in Turkey. I’ve had the Kaynaklar and K2 blends several times and they’re very good. But the heart and soul of this winery are the grapes you’ve never heard of. A big believer in growing things where they are native, Karagözoğlu set about collecting vineyards where Turkey’s native grapes thrive naturally.

  Datça Vineyard and Winery, conveniently located on the same named peninsula in southern Turkey, is a small, family-run winery. Here they make wine for the love of it but are perfectly poised to take advantage of the tourist rich area. The Datça Peninsula Located along the Aegean coast between famous resort areas of Bodrum and Fethiye, the Datça (dat-cha) Peninsula is a long, narrow peninsula that is a combination of fjords and beaches, uninhabited mountains, and fertile plains and valleys. Easily accessed via a picturesque (albeit long) drive from the mainland or regular ferries from Bodrum, the area offers a fair amount of attractive activities for tourists. Beaches, a charming

  Nearby the famous ruins of Greco-Roman city Ephesus sits the southern Aegean winery Yedi Bilgeler. It was almost fated that owner Bilge Yamen, who hails from the northeastern city Kars, should establish his winery mere kilometers from this ancient city. Kars and Selçuk, where Ephesus can be found today, are separated by more than just distance (1,689 kilometers to be exact). Kars is located in the very northeastern corner of Turkey’s Anatolia very near the border with Armenia. Kars has a humid continental climate with significant differences between summer and winter temperatures. High elevation, long, cold winters buried under snow, and brief mild summers are not conducive to grape

  I firmly believe that sparkling wines should not be drunk only on special occasions. However, they are still my first choice for celebrations! Happily here in Turkey there is a wide range of locally produced sparkling wine. Made with a variety of grapes and methods there’s one for everyone’s taste and pocketbook* preference! Pamukkale Sava Premium Yarı Köpüren Region: Aegean Grape(s): Sultaniye Style: Blanc de blanc Vintage: 2017 ABV: 12.5% Price: 29 TRY Method: CO2 This falls more in line with frizzante-style wine that has a lower pressure and therefore fewer and softer bubbles. Nose is fruity full of peaches and mango. The palate is frothy with a slight chemical bitterness and medium finish. Very fruity, lots of

  Öküzgözü Şarapçılık's name creates a bit of confusion. It is the only winery in Turkey named not after a family name or a vineyard but after a grape. Quite often when I see a wine with Öküzgözü written in big, bold letters across the label I can’t tell for a minute if it’s a new wine by Öküzgözü Winery or if another producer is just really excited about the grape variety. Öküzgözü Winery does produce Öküzgözü. In fact its flagship wine is a 100% Öküzgözü. However, the winery is also pioneering the return of another indigenous variety: Foça Karası. Rıfat Şekerdil, owner and winemaker of Öküzgözü Winery, has been a fixture in central