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Aegean Tag

HomePosts tagged "Aegean" (Page 23)

  Turkey is home to hundreds, if not thousands of vitis vinfera grapes not found anywhere else. As with many winemaking countries some grapes are more popular than others. It is easy to find wine here made from grapes like Narince, Emir, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, and Boğazkere. But Yapıncak not so much. Very few wineries work with this grape. Really only Suvla, Paşaeli, and Sevilen. Yapıncak  Never heard of this grape? Not surprising. The Yapıncak grape is difficult to grow and prone to low yields even in good years. Its continued existence is down to the few winemakers who continue the struggle to cultivate it. Grown around Turkey’s Marmara sea, largely in Eceabat, Yapıncak

  My love affair with Ayda Winery began last fall in my local bottle shop. I’m in this shop a lot. Like, a lot a lot. So when there’s a new bottle somewhere I zero in on it pretty quickly. With the Ayda Winery VinAida collection it wasn’t difficult at all since they were sitting right there on check out counter. Actually I think they might all have been samples for the store owner. There was only the one set and the shop doesn’t carry them*. They let me buy a couple bottles anyway. I think they get a kick out of the odd foreigner who gets so excited about

  While I have many favorite wineries in Turkey, Prodom holds a special place in my heart. The first year I lived in Turkey I lived in a conservative neighborhood a fairly far distance from the heart of the city. Alcohol was not easy to come by. And good wine was even more rare than that. So for a year I was convinced that all Turkish wine was crap. Then I moved to the city center where there is not only wine on grocery store shelves but also proper wine shops and wine bars. It was at one of these bars where a friend of mine took me that I had

  Karnas Vinyards is a boutique, family run winery and farm which main goal is to farm “respectful of nature”. Engineering the First Turkish Zinfandel [caption id="attachment_11659" align="alignleft" width="301"] Me at Karnas[/caption] Selva Ismen, the elegant force behind Karnas Vineyards started life as a civil engineer. One of the very first graduates from the prestigious Istanbul Technical University, Selva Hanım lived a life of clinical maths and calculations. Until, that is, she lived in the US for a number of years where she learned to love not only wine, but specifically Zinfandel. After she retired she began experimenting with winemaking at the family home in Yeniköy in Turkish Thrace. Selva Hanım bought grapes from friend

  Urlice Vineyards is one of Turkey’s special boutique wineries. The husband/wife team Reha and Bilge Benisü Öğünlü oversee everything from vineyards to cellar on their own. The Making of a Dream Bilge and Reha lived in the US for over 15 years. While there they developed a love for wine and gastronomy.  Her parents had a small vineyard where they learned the ropes a bit during visits. Between those visits and their wine tours in the US their love of wine grew prompting them to start their own vineyard when they returned to Turkey. Since beginning planting in 2002, Bilge and Reha have built a beautiful winery and make wines every bit as

  Porta Caeli came about as the result of a wine-loving Turkish family’s quest to prove that Turkish wine can compete with established Old World wine. The winery and spa hotel are located in the village of Ecebat where Thrace meets the Aegean. While the majority of Turkey experiences a hot and continental climate, this region is very different. The harmony of a maritime climate, surrounding forests, and breezes has attracted many winemakers including Porta Caeli, Suvla, Ergenekon, Doluca, Chateau Kalpak, and more. With the notable exception of Suvla, most winemakers in the region, Porta Caeli included, work exclusively with international grape varieties. In the case of Porta Caeli, specifically Bordeaux varieties. They believe that their terroir

  Yedi Bilgeler (also known as 7Bilgeler) is one of my absolute favorite Turkish wineries. Due in large part to this wine, the Pythagoras. I previously reviewed the 2013 and now it’s time for the 2014. But before we get to the wine, the winery! The Seven Sages I recently had the great fortune to visit Yedi Bilgeler with my good friend and writing partner, Istanbites. We were privileged enough to spend time there with founder and owner Bilge Yamen. Bilge bey became interested in wine while at university. He was interested in history and philosophy and how wine played such a huge role in both. He believes that history, philosophy, and jazz are like wine:

  Together with Corvus, Amadeus, and Çamlıbağ; Talay is one of Turkey’s Aegean region wineries located on the island of Bozcaada. In 1948, the Talay brothers Necati, Hayati, and Sebati established their family-run winery. During the early years they focused their attention on local varieties Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, Karasakız (Kuntra). In 1999 they planted European grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, and Tempranillo; as well as adding to their indigenous grape roster with Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Narince. While the latter four Turkish grapes are fairly familiar Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna, and Karasakız may not be. But these varieties have grown on Bozcaada for centuries. The Island of

  Some time ago a friend of mine threw a dinner party. In addition to her amazing food she also had wines from one of my favorite Turkish producers, Suvla, on hand. Including the Suvla Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. Quality at every level Suvla is a family owned wine producer established by Pınar Ellialtı and Selim Zafer Ellialtı in 2003. The vineyards are nestled in the historical Peninsula of Gallipoli, between the North Aegean coast and the Sea of Marmara where they cultivate a wide variety of grapes. The whites include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, and Marsanne. The reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache Noir, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Noir.

  The story of USCA Winery began some 15 years ago when a group of friends, fascinated by the world of wine, decided to open their own winery.  Leaving behind their “city” lives and careers they moved to the Izmir district of Urla and in 2003 established their vineyards. Turkish bureaucracy is much like a vineyard…tangled, a bit dirty, and requiring a lot of patience. It was not until 2007 that USCA Winery was incorporated but the ensuing years gave the vineyards time to mature. If this wine is any indication though, that patience has paid off in spades. USCA Sonnet 76 2013 Sonnet 76 (the wine, not the verse from the Bard)