I'm quite fascinated by both composers and perfumers. Two completely different careers but requiring similar skills. Even the language used in both shares words. High notes, top notes, mid tones, low notes
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I grew up in a small town where I attended an even smaller school. While I did not enjoy great popularity, neither did I sit at the bottom of the social totem pole. What I did have was a place with the oddballs. I dressed differently than the other kids. In middle school I started reading fortunes. At one point I think I spoke with a (bad) British accent. I was
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Yes, Turkey makes wine! In fact, together with Georgia and Armenia, Turkey has one of the longest histories of winemaking. As far back as 1600 BC when the Hitites made wine for their religious ceremonies people have made wine in Turkey. Assyrians and later Christians also made wine for both religious and every day drinking purposes. In the late Ottoman period it was illegal for Muslims to imbibe or even make wine. Instead, many Muslims cultivated grapes they then sold to Greek and Armenian winemakers. However that all came to and end in the 1920s during the population exchange and many vineyards were abandoned. Paradoxically, despite its long history
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The wine world recognizes some eighteen “noble” grapes. The most common among them being: Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. What makes them noble? In a nutshell, availability does. These 18 varieties have wide-spread appeal and can be found in most major wine-producing areas in the world. Not for nothing, but I like the way VinePair puts it: “… these grapes are the gateway drugs.” The Noble Grapes of Turkey None of Turkey’s native grapes is included in the list of noble (or international) grapes. Not surprising as by and large the grapes are cultivated only here in Turkey. However if Turkey had its own list of noble
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Diren Winery, located in the northern part of Anatolia in the Black Sea region is one of Turkey’s older wineries. Sourcing grapes predominately from its vineyards in Tokat, Diren has been making wine for 60 years. Diren was founded in 1958 by Mustafa Vasfi Diren who took his love for wine and transformed it into a family legacy. Largely self-educated in winemaking, he visited vineyards in Europe to learn their techniques and collaborated with the Agriculture Department of Ankara University. He continued to learn and perfect the crafts of viticulture and vinification until 1985, when his son Ali Diren took over the reins at the winery. Diren now takes great pride in
Read MoreVinkara Winery, located in Kalecik outside the Turkish capital Ankara is either the “smallest of the big” wineries or the “largest of the small”. It depends entirely on your perspective. Ardıç Gürsel became interested in wine while studying abroad where she was used to drinking good wine. She always wondered, where are the Turkish grapes? When she returned to Turkey in the 80s she told her family that she wanted to make wine and they thought she was crazy. Then a few decades later her father announced that he was going to open a winery. Not without her he wouldn’t! And so Vinkara winery was born. Dedication to Native Turkish Varieties It is my absolute
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In the spring I attended an Arcadia wine tasting with Murat Mumcoğlu of Şarap Atölyesi. We tried a variety or red and white wines; one of which was the Arcadia Odrysia Narince 2015. Wine made from Narince is not difficult to find; but finding one as special as the Odrysia is not easy. Narince is a native Turkish grape. Originally from Tokat in Anatolia it is both a table grape and is used to make wine. “Narince” in Turkish means “delicately” which perfectly describes the wines it makes. Narince wines display sophisticated and elegant fruit flavors and are very ethereal and aromatic. They reveal aromas of orange, grapefruit, lime, white pineapple,
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Kastro Tireli is something I discovered only recently. During a stop-in at Comedus I bought this Kastro Tireli Narince Viognier (67 TL). I have come to realize that Kastro Tireli, an Aegean-based winery, is a much bigger deal than I suspected! Since I first bought this white, I have seen Kastro Tireli wines pop up everywhere. I had also the pleasure of being able to try several others and speak to them at the Sommerlier’s Selection Turkey event. Located in Akhisar, in Manisa, the winery is influenced by the history of its location and by French and Italian viti and viniculture practices. Committed to quality over quantity, Kastro Tireli, which began
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Nif has quickly become one of my favorite wineries in Turkey and I’m always seeking out more of their wines. At the Sommeliers’ Selection Turkey I had the opportunity to try several which I picked up later from La Cave. Among them was the Nif Aegean White blend. With the tag line “Bottled Happiness” they rather boldly guarantee the quality of their wine. Are the wrong? Not that I have so far found. The critics seem to agree. Nif wines have been winning awards since 2012. Located in Izmir in the heart of Turkey’s Aegean region, Nif cultivates both domestic grapes such as Bornova Muscat, Narince, and Sultaniye as well as a vast array of
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My second foray into the land of Mr. Jesus wines was the 2013 Isa Bey Narince (35 TL at Carrefour). Isa Bey is a “concept” wine from Sevilen produced with the principle of tek bağ tek üzüm (one vineyard, one grape). As such they produce a smaller number of bottles each year than wineries that take grapes from other vineyards. Narince is often compared to Chardonnay but other than sometimes sharing pineapple flavors I personally find them to be quite different. While it can be used to create dömisek wines, more often than not Narince is a dry wine with a sweet nose. The Isa Bey Narince follows this pattern with
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