Wine and Piracy at Barbare Vineyards
One does not immediately associate wine with piracy. Yet, Barbare, one of Turkey’s Thracian wineries, takes its name and inspiration from the famed (or perhaps infamous!) pirate, Barbarossa. Before visiting Barbare, I had no idea that the pirate Barbarossa (aka Redbeard) was Turkish. Let alone that he was an admiral in the Ottoman navy. His journey from renegade pirate to respected admiral meandered nearly as much as Turkey’s recent wine history.
Readbeard, King of the Sea
Barbarossa – image from Wikipedia
In the same year Columbus left to “discover” America, the Barbarossa brothers Khidr and Oruç, Were already villainous pirates. After Spain kicked the last of the Muslims out of Iberia, it, along with Portugal, began attacking North African coastal cities in efforts to gain more territory. Infuriated by attacks on fellow Muslims, the Barbarossas harried Spanish and Portuguese ships in retaliation under the order of Korkud (one of the sons of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II) . Then of course the sultan dies as sultans do which sparked a fight for succession. Knowing full well that Turkish princes tend to kill of their competition (taking sibling rivalry to a whole new level) and those favored by the competition, the brothers fled to North Africa.
They returned to a life of piracy and annoying the Spanish and Portuguese. Apparently they conquered Algiers which brought them back to Ottoman notice who knew a good expansion opportunity when they saw it. They started bankrolling the brothers again. Unfortunately Oruç fell in battle a few years later leaving Khidr, now known as Hayreddin, on his own. During this period Khidr/Hayreddin took on the name Barbarossa, captured Tunis, and was named as admiral in chief of the Ottoman navy. After an eminently colorful life he died in Constantinople in 1546.
From Piracy to Wine
The story of Barbare Vineyards is somewhat less romantic than Barbarossa’s. Certainly it involves far less swashbuckling. Can Topsakal, wine lover and Francophile, established a winery for the joy of wine. Set above the Sea of Marmara, Barbare Vineyards is situated between the villages of Barbaros and Yazır in Tekirdağ. Topsakal named his vineyards for the famous pirate/admiral as a nod to both the history of winemaking in Thrace and also because the vineyards are situated along the ridges of Barbaros. In addition to the name, Barbare Vineyards also uses the image of Barbarossa’s (red) bearded skull on all its wine labels.
I’ve had quite a few wines from Barbare including the Ambiance GSM, the Libra, the Reserve Premier IX XI XII, and 2009 Elegance. In addition, I’ve a bit of my own pirate’s hoard having turned my second bedroom into a wine cellar of sorts where I have another three or four bottles of Barbare wine. It’s just too good to not hoard!
Barbare 2012 Premier Grenache
Can Topsakal is justifiably proud of this, his favorite wine. After 36 months in the barrel and at
15% alcohol this is probably the biggest Grenache I’ve ever had. Sadly, with a production of just 1600 bottles I’ll probably not get to have this one again.
Extremely dark garnet color leads to intense aromas of black and red fruits with ribbons of sweet tobacco, cinnamon, bursts of spice, and intriguing depths of licorice. At once silk elegance and power, the complexity of flavor journeys from fruit and freshly cracked black pepper to forest underfloor. A nearly never ending finish makes drinking this wine a long and enjoyable journey.
Barbare 2013 Ambiance Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
As its name suggests, the Premier Grenache comes from Barbare’s premier line. The Ambiance Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, on the other hand, comes from the winery’s mid range series. However, at Barbare, “mid range” is a relevant term. The Ambiance GSM blend is one of my favorite go-to wines and with this line being so reasonably priced, it is one of the highest quality wines in its price range.
The Ambiance Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot has a personality as big and bold and its 14.5% alcohol. A pretty, intense garnet color unfolds to red fruits, dried herbs, violets, and leather aromas. Clean, mouth-watering acid, and velvet, mouth-filling tannins reveal flavors of bright cherries, spicy florals, and leather.
I’ve rather always wanted to be a pirate. Now at least I can drink wine inspired by one! Argh!!