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Thrace Tag

HomePosts tagged "Thrace" (Page 12)

  When was the last time you were really wrong about something? While I’m sure there have been so many more times; one that really sticks in my head was when I was maybe about 11. My mom arranged a play date for me with a girl in my grade. Not that I was super popular (I was firmly in the ‘weird kid’ camp) but she was definitely lower on the middle school hierarchy than I was and I wouldn’t have been caught dead talking to her at school. Not only did I have a great time with her that day but she became a really good friend. I don’t

  Good wine shouldn’t have to be expensive. Unfortunately that is not always true in Turkey. Someone asked me recently to recommend a wine under 25 TL (about $6). And I really couldn’t do it. Double that price and we can talk. There are very few wines here priced under 40 TL ($9) that I will drink. It’s not that I’m a snob (well really I am but that’s a different topic). I just prefer to drink wine that a) tastes nice and b) won’t kill me. For every rule there exists and exception. While I still refuse most wines that live at the 25 TL mark there are a

  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

  Previously I have reviewed the Vino Dessera 190 2014 vintage. So it seems I’m moving backwards now with the 190 2013! Making Walnuts into Wine Vino Dessera was established in 2012, but to understand the full story of these fields we need to jump a little further back. When the owner’s first grandchild was born, abiding by a very thoughtful Anatolian tradition, he planted approximately 600 walnut trees along the green slopes of Thrace. And, as it turns out, he never stopped. Motivated partially by self-competition, when his second grandchild was born, he planted wine grapes in 2000. And, so too Vino Dessera was born. Today, the vineyard is a family-run operation growing both

  I cannot count the number of times I’ve said that I don’t like rose wine. It is many. There have been a few here in Turkey though that, while they won’t make me a rose lover, I will happy say are very nice. Arda makes one such wine. Arda Vineyards sits a short drive outside Edirne in northern Thrace; equidistant from both the Bulgarian and Greek borders. The winery defines boutique. The owners, the Saç family, do more than merely oversee operations. Yavus Saç obtained a master’s degree in wine history, recently sat the WSET 3 exams, and with his wife Bahar oversees the running of the vineyard and winery.  They

  There is a fantastic, growing trend in Turkey to focus on being local. This affects many sectors in the country but most especially food and wine. One of the wineries leading the charge is the boutique Barel Vineyards. Putting Wine on Every Table Barel Vineyards was founded in 1997 with the aim of adding a little bit more taste to the life by the Akın family. While Barel’s name comes from the names of two siblings Elif and Barkın Akın brothers; the winery is in the hands of youngest of the Akıns, Barkın. The Akın family was making wine on their land for family and friends years before the winery was

  In 1993 Güler Sabancı of the Sabancı Group, established Gülor Winery in the fertile soils of Tekirdağ, part of Turkey’s Thracian region. Upon founding the winery, Sabancı sought the assistance of Professor Nicolas Vivas from the University of Bordeaux. Vivas directed all phases of production and winemaking until 2012, when seventh-generation winemaker Antoine Bastide d’Izar took over the reins. Winemakers here often compare the terroir in this area of Thrace to that of Bordeaux. It is perhaps then not surprising that many of the vineyards here are planted with French varietals.  Combine that with their French winemakers, it is no great shock that Gülor also cultivates French varietals. The vineyards in Tekirdağ are dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot,

  I had a chance to visit Chamlija’s tasting restaurant a while back. While there I learned that they produce so many more wines than those that make it to the Istanbul market, including the Chamlija Mavrud. Before our visit I had never heard of the Mavrud grape but I won’t forget it now. Bulgarian Roots in Turkey Mavrud is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines, indigenous to the region of Thrace in Bulgaria, particularly around the city of Plovdiv. The grape’s name is likely derived from the Greek word “mavro” which means black. However there’s a nice legend that goes with

  Located in the village of Havsa outside Edirne, Edrine (not to be confused with the city Edirne!) is a family run winery. Founded in 2007 their first vintage came out in 2010. What started as a boutique winery has expanded rapidly and Edrine now produces some 2 million liters of wine annually. The owners, the Öktem family, concentrate on creating quality and affordable wines. At Edrine they believe strongly in the flavor of the “naked” grape they use very little oak. At most they add oak chips for a few days. Otherwise everything is aged in steel. The Winery produces under several labels: the eponymous Edrine, 22, and the Color

  Chateau Kalpak is the love child of Bülent Kalpaklıoğlu who began developing the vineyard in 2003. It was not until 2010 that he released his first vintage. His goal for Chateau Kalpak is to create a single chateau-style wine from a single vineyard. In order to achieve this, he picked the best root-stocks and clones of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to match the vineyard terrior. Only two blends are released annually: Chateau Kalpak and BBK. They harvest, ferment, and age (30-36 months) each parcel (about 1 hectar) separately. At Chateau Kalpak they use Hungarian oak barriques made out of wood selected for their balance, bouquet, and character. This