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Mediterranean Tag

HomePosts tagged "Mediterranean" (Page 4)

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Nestled in a bowl-like cradle in mountainous Bodrum and nearly lost in the riotous greenery of the surrounding agriculture grow vines of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, and Zinfandel. This is Garova Vineyards. Wineries in Turkey have plenty of obstacles to overcome. Much of them, like the high alcohol and "luxury goods" taxes and ban on advertising come from the industry's biggest impediment, the current government. Pair that with a failing economy and general lack of wine culture and you get an industry riddled with stumbling blocks. With this many issues facing a new winemaker, who would enter this life with road blocks of his own? Garova Vineyards' founder

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Unless you're a serious student of history and/or a fan of the Roman Empire, chances are if you've heard of the city of Antioch it was in church. I know that's where I first heard the name uttered. Mostly I associated it with all the preachy letters from Saint Paul (never my favorite evangalist). Until I moved to Turkey.  [caption id="attachment_13300" align="alignleft" width="300"] Saint Pierre church in Hatay-one of the oldest Christian churches in the world[/caption] I feel every time I turn around I discover an ancient city (most of them from the Bible no less) that either has a new, Turkish name (for example Smyrna is now Izmir and Nicaea

By 2Amber Wine, Orange Wine, Sparkling Wine, Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Narince is perhaps the most ubiquitous of the native white Turkish vitis vinifera. Its native home is in the alluvial soils of the Black Sea region, specifically Tokat; but it is cultivated across Turkey including in the Aegean and Thracian regions. Winemakers are using Narince for everything from still white to traditional method sparkling wines and even skin contact amber. What is it though that makes this grape so great? Meet Narince A somewhat late ripening berry, Narince is harvested in the second half of September, which provides a unique challenge to many winemakers. Third party growers rather than wineries own the vast majority of Narince vineyards in Tokat. They

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  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

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Likya Winery in Turkey’s Mediterranean has a huge range of wines. From simple but quaffable entry level to complex high-end wines, Likya has something for everyone. Located in the heights of the Elamlı plateau of the western Taurus Mountains, Likya’s vineyards are home to a mix of native and international grapes. Their elevation and unique terroir give Likya’s wines freshness and elegance which can be felt in all their wines. The owners of Likya, the Özkan family, love food and that shows in their wine. Likya wines match really well with food. Their white wines, like this Patara, have great punchy acid and minerality that make them perfect for salads, mezes, and

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  I feel like I say a lot that such-and-such winery is one of my favorite wineries in Turkey. Does the expression lose gravitas for saying it so often? Or is it a reflection on how good Turkish wine really is? Whatever the answer; I’m going to say it again. Likya is one of my favorite wineries in Turkey. One of the things I like so much about Likya is that they put equal effort into both domestic and international varietals. For example, Likya resurrected a nearly distinct Turkish grape varietal and is now making complex and interesting wines from the Acıkara grape. The list of international varieties they tackle is varied and interesting.

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  A few months ago I went to a wine tasting lead by Murat Mumcuoğlu of Şarap Atölyesi. I was excited before the tasting because I’d been following Murat on Twitter and Instagram for a wile and was excited to meet him. After the tasting I was excited because, thanks to him, I discovered Likya’s Acıkara. Rescuing precious grapes Never heard of Acıkara? Neither had I; for good reason. Until just a few short years ago it was a mostly forgotten, nearly extinct Turkish grape. The folks at Likya found some vines in the wild (I believe) and thinking they were one thing, transplanted them to their vineyards. However when harvest time came around they realized

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Likya has a huge range of wines, including several varietals of native Turkish grapes that are really rare; including the Merzifon Karası. I put together an all Likya tasting in the fall for a group and wanted to include several of Likya’s more unusual varietals. In addition to a Chardonnay and a Malbec we tasted an Acikara and this 2015 Merzifon Karası. Going with the Merzifon Karası for this tasting made me a little nervous. For one thing, it wasn’t a small investment. A bottle of this from La Cave will set you back 110TL. Additionally, no amount of Googling netted me any information about this grape. I still know nothing about the

By 0Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  I know-a Chardonnay? What is the world coming to?! I really did have a reason though. I recently lead an all-Likya tasting and wanted at least one white. So when I spotted this unoaked Likya 2015 Arykanda Chardonnay at La Cave (for only 45TL) I thought why not? Also they only had one bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc. I was actually fairly intrigued by the Arykanda Chardonnay. I have not hated unoaked Chardonnay wines I’ve had in the past and so thought that this could be interesting. Oddly enough I-loud Chardonnay hater that I am-was one of only THREE people out of 13 at the tasting who liked it! Well-“like” might be

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  The 2012 Likya Podalia has become my go-to bottle when I take people to Dai Pera – which is my go-to restaurant. It’s a nice medium bodied wine that suits just about any palate and isn’t challenging for people who don’t have a lot of wine experience. Likya Podalia is a Kalecik Karası Malbec blend (75TL from La Cave) which has the added benefit of being both exotic for people who don’t know Turkish wines but also comfortingly familiar. The nose is fascinating…cotton candy and tobacco all swirled together with raspberry undertones. Sounds a little weird but not uncommon for these wines. Kalecik Karası is known for having cotton candy