Emir is one of my favorite grapes in Turkey. My favorite white grape full stop. High acidity, distinct minerality, clean citrus and green fruit aromas, history
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Every year - well every year that I remember - I like to do a quick review of the wines I posted about during the year that I most enjoyed, that most surprised me, etc. So with no further ado, let's jump into my favorite Turkish wines of 2023! My Favorite Sparkling Wines There weren't many new sparkling wines released this year. And frankly, with the skyrocketing price of most Turkish bubbles, I didn't really drink much. And while the Paşaeli Karasakız Pét-Nat may not be a fair wine to include, as it was a super limited bottling, it nonetheless gets a spot. My Favorite White Wines Over the last few years,
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It's been absolutely ages since I did a wine bar review! A few months ago, a friend brought 316 Meze & Wine to my attention and we finally got around to checking it out. So, here we are again with a new wine bar review! Tucked away in Nişantaşı, around the corner from the American Hospital (possibly a strange but utterly unmissable landmark), is the new-ish 316 Meze & Wine. They're making great use of the small space they have here with high tables and stools that aren't nearly as uncomfortable as they look. The shiny, modern tables and stools echo all the shiny metals in the sparkling clean
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This June, Camilla from Culinary Cam has invited the #WinePW crew to explore wine and cheese pairings. Any cheese, any wine, any region our hearts desire! You can read her invitation post here. If you're reading this in time, join us for our Twitter chat on Saturday, June 10 at 11 AM EST and tell us about your favorite wine and cheese pairings! I love cheese. And when I say I love cheese, I mean that I LOVE cheese. If the choice came down to chocolate or cheese, cheese all the way. I also have an entire auxiliary freezer for cheese (and pork because, you know, I live in
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Even if the weather doesn't know it, we are barreling toward spring's warmer weather. That means it's time to ease into cheerful and easy sipping white wines! But what if you can't decide between Turkey's two most popular (native) grapes, Emir and Narince? Drink a wine with both like Kocabağ Emir Narince! I'm a huge fan of the Kocabağ K Emir so, a while back when I was ordering wine from them, I thought, hey, let's throw in a bottle of this Emir Narince blend! Kocabağ Emir Narince, 2021 Kocabağ's Emir comes from its vineyards around Cappadocia but my guess is they bring the Narince in from Tokat. Nothing fancy here
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Every year - well every year that I remember - I like to do a quick review of the wines I posted about during the year that I most enjoyed, that most surprised me, etc. So with no further ado, let's jump into my favorite Turkish wines of 2022! My Favorite Sparkling Wines Sparkling wines are always going to be at the tippy top of my list! Not many new sparkling wines were released this year but, even if it were the only one, the Arcadia Pét-Nat Sauvignon Gris would still sit at the top of the tippy top. Yaşasın is not new but it still makes my list. This year, I
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[caption id="attachment_18442" align="alignleft" width="300"] As it first looked[/caption] I first learned about the Sobran Bağları Emir at one of the Gusto Bar wine events in Istanbul. It's appearance at the event was remarkable for several reasons but the most eye-catching was the wine's color. It appeared a very pale pink! With the intention of both drinking it myself and using it in wine tastings, I contacted the winery and ordered half a case. The wine duly arrived but, when I opened the box, I did not see the pale pink wine I remembered. The wine shone a bright yellow. I reached out to ask if there had been a mistake
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Kayra Buzbağ and Kayra Buzbağ Rezerv have been around since forever. By which I mean at least the 10 years I've been knocking around Istanbul and many years prior to that. Kayra's facility in Elazığ has been there for so long that they city grew up around it. Kayra has two wineries, but the Elazığ location is dedicated to the production of its wines made from regional grapes Öküzgözü and Boğazkere. Which are the grapes that have always gone into the Buzbağ blends. Which means also that Buzbağ Rezerv has also always been a red wine. There's not been a Rezerv white until now. Hello Kayra Buzbağ Rezerv White
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Over the last two vintages, the Vino Dessera Entrika line has expanded both its offerings and its reach across Turkey. For the 2020 vintage, Vino Dessera debuted its Entrika Emir and the Entrika Narince for the 2021 vintage. Itself based in Kırklareli in Thrace, Vino Dessera's own vineyards grow a variety of (mostly international) grapes. The winery has long sourced native varieties from their respective "homelands": Öküzgözü from Elazığ, Çalkarası from Denizli, etc. With a combination of grape sources, how do you know where they're from? Check the graphic on the back label! Vino Dessera's wines include a small map of Turkey that pinpoints the grapes' origin. Vino Dessera
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Back in the day when we were researching my book, E and I were invited to stay at Argos in Cappadocia. This fascinating hotel's story began in 1996 when Gökşin Ilıcalı bought some land in Uçhisar on which to build his own house. However, while digging to set the building's foundations, he unearthed the remains of an ancient neighborhood (mahalle). From that moment, his plans changed. Under the supervision of expert architects, historians, and the cultural and natural heritage preservation board, he spent years excavating and restoring the neighborhood. Now the hotel occupies 13,500 square meters with expertly restored and decorated rooms, event halls, restaurant, and a wine cellar. And if
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