Chateau St Thomas Les Gourmets Blanc
It's been absolute ages since I've been to Lebanon. Luckily for me, even though Lebanese wine is not available in Turkey, I still get
Read MoreIt's been absolute ages since I've been to Lebanon. Luckily for me, even though Lebanese wine is not available in Turkey, I still get
Read MoreArcadia, based in upper Thrace in Kırklareli, has long prided itself on its winemaking techniques. Including a crazy looking machine that very gently filters
Read MoreWith woman still being marginalized in the wine world (although oddly enough not in Turkey which you can read about here!), it continues to
Read MoreI briefly mentioned the Yaban Kolektif during a previous post about Patkara. Since that collaboration with the Asmadan winery, Yaban Kolektif has partnered with
Read More[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image created by https://mycupofwine.com/[/caption] For March's #ItalianFWT chat, Jennifer of Vino Travels has invited us all to explore the wines of
Read MoreIt sure felt like spring had sprung during the second half of February. Even my crocuses are blooming! But my experience both here and
Read MoreGranted we're going through a weird warm streak at the moment in Istanbul, but that's doesn't mean winter is over. It often makes itself
Read MorePamukkale really want to you to know that the Pamukkale YT Boğazkere is a special wine. Not only was it bottled in an overly
Read MoreI don't write much about Kutman wines (anymore). While the winery continues to put out new vintages, it hasn't released a "new" wine of
Read MoreWhen you hear the grape "Sultaniye", what comes to mind? Table grapes or raisins probably. If you live in Turkey likely also pekmez or
Read MoreTwo years ago, I won a writing contest about Hungarian wine run by Hungarian Wine.EU. You can read my winning piece here! Part of
Read MoreI didn't have a horizontal picture of this wine so I hope you enjoy this picture of Sherlock lounging in one of my serving
Read MoreI don't know about you all, but the beginning of 2023 did not treat me well! Despite vowing to not participate in dry January,
Read MoreSeveral years ago, when I interviewed people from Asmadan winery for the book, they mentioned they were growing Macabeo. But then there was nothing,
Read MoreFoça Karası is a grape we still don't know a lot about in Turkey. In Greece, where it's known as Fokiano, it's grown mostly
Read MoreWine trends may come late to Turkey, but when they comes they do it with a vengeance. One of the most recent to sink
Read MoreAkberg winery is off and running since its addition of "real" vs fruit wine (for more on that check out this post). While it
Read MoreEvery year - well every year that I remember - I like to do a quick review of the wines I posted about during
Read MoreHave you ever heard of Kabar? If you know wine from Tokaj or from Hungary at all, you've probably had some Furmint and Hárslevelű.
Read MoreHappy 2023 to everyone! Who's made a resolution for the new year? Share in the comments below! I'm not one for resolutions generally but I
Read MoreIf a Cabernet Shiraz blend from Akın Gürbüz has a hint of deja vous about it for you, you wouldn't be wrong. The Gürbüz
Read MoreWhen possible, I like to visit a Christmas market somewhere in Europe during Advent. We don't get a lot of Christmas in Turkey as
Read MoreWhile I've written about it a number of times now, Patkara is still something of an emerging grape in Turkey. The first glimpse we
Read MoreI'm not going to go into my rant about "natural" wine and why it offends me. Been there, done that. So if I've already
Read More[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
Read MoreFor the capital city of an Amazing wine country, Athens airport duty free wine selection sucks. Maybe if you've only gone through the airport
Read MoreIt's December 4 - you know that that means! #CabFrancDay! I wouldn't miss a chance to celebrate this wine holiday. Not only because my
Read MoreIt's December! The winter solstice is around the corner but, even more exciting, Christmas! My tree is up! Is yours? Especially in light of
Read MoreOver the winter I met some of the family behind new Çal-based winery, Kuzubağ. Historically, the wineries located on the Denizli-Çal plateau have produced more
Read MoreLucien Arkas began his path to winery ownership as a wine lover with a dream. And a lot of money. In 2010 when the
Read MoreCanan's wines often fly under the radar, but the Gordias Oğan wasn't even on mine. Until I happened to spot a bottle of it
Read MoreSemi-recently I took a trip to Georgia (the Republic of, not the peach state). I haven't been since before the pandemic hit and was
Read MoreWe don't give Yapıncak a lot of love. Largely because it's not especially common. Paşaeli, Sevilen, and Suvla are the only wineries I know
Read MoreKayra Buzbağ and Kayra Buzbağ Rezerv have been around since forever. By which I mean at least the 10 years I've been knocking around
Read MoreLast Sunday, I wrote about my experience with the rosé wines from Kuzubağ. Now it's time to tackle the whites! Over the winter I met
Read MoreI bought this Carpinus Tokaj Hárslevelű during my last trip to Budapest this June. In a way, this one bottle brought the last year
Read MoreOver the winter I met some of the family behind new Çal-based winery, Kuzubağ. Historically, the wineries located on the Denizli-Çal plateau have produced more
Read More[caption id="attachment_18341" align="alignright" width="428"] map from Nif Bağları click for larger image[/caption] Viognier Narince is not an unpopular blend in Turkey. I feel like the
Read MoreSagavın Winery's wines still reside totally under the radar. I've seen them at the odd shop here in Istanbul but not widely. Which is
Read MoreThe Gordias Kalecik Karası Beyazı was one of the standout wine surprises I found this spring. I think it's been around for a while
Read MoreDo you love sparkling wine? I do. I'm always happy to try any of them (and generally even happier to drink them). Finding new
Read MoreFor years, Kastro Tireli has made one white wine: a Viognier Narince blend. Then they added a skin contact version of the same blend.
Read MoreHave you had wine from Kefalonia? If the answer is 'no' then you should try to change that ASAP! I haven't yet been to
Read MoreBüyülübağ owner Alp Törüner experimented with micro vinifications of wild fermentations for a few years before releasing his first commercial bottling in 2015. While
Read MoreSome time ago, I wrote a little compilation of Moschofilero tasting notes. My great friend Anna Maria of Unravelling Wine not so subtly commented
Read MoreOver the last two vintages, the Vino Dessera Entrika line has expanded both its offerings and its reach across Turkey. For the 2020 vintage,
Read MoreSummer isn't over quite yet! We're having some cooler days (which I quite appreciate!) but also still seeing spikes into the 30s. On those
Read MoreLast fall when I visited Likya, they told me about a new rosé they were trying to release: Fox. Made from a new (for
Read MoreThis month, Cam from Culinary Adventures with Cam has invited the #Winophiles group to explore French Grapes that Crossed Continents. You can read her
Read MoreBack 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
Read MoreWith school bells tolling the end of summer, Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles has invited the #winepw group to a "back to school" themed
Read MoreIf you love Kalecik Karası then you may know the name Prof. Dr. Sabit Ağaoğlu. If you don't know his name, I'm willing to
Read MoreThe first place I saw the Shiluh Mazrona was, of course, Instagram and I felt giddy with excitement. A Mazrona! All on it's own
Read MoreIn May at Gusto Bar's CMC, I connected with Erdem Yılmaz from Tasheli. Then, after drinking the winery's Göküzüm Aküzüm, I reached out to
Read MoreWhile Narince appears most commonly as a varietal wine, blending it is not uncommon. Sometimes we see Narince Emir, Chardonnay Narince seemed popular for
Read MoreOn Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, Lyrarakis Estate has spearheaded the movement to revive one of the island's oldest and rarest grapes:
Read MoreMany of us know Grüner Veltliner, or "green Veltliner" Austria's premier white grape; but what do we know about its "red" counterpart, Roter Veltliner? I
Read MoreAkberg Büyük Bağ I learned about last autumn at the Gustobar Sommelier Selection and was then happy to see them back in the spring
Read MoreThis month, Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla issued a CSA challenge to the #WinePW group. You can read her invitation here. The challenge
Read MoreWe are well and truly in the depths of summer now. Whether you're hiding inside with the AC or toughing it out, hoping for
Read MoreIn 1997, the Tsimbidis family founded Monemvasia Winery in Monemvasia, Laconia, Peleponnese. Their goal: to reinvigorate little-known grapes lost in time. The Tsimdibis family
Read MoreLocated in the Çömelek village in the Mut district of Mersin along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, Tasheli is a family-run winery that has had a
Read MoreOkay, well new-ish anyway. I first tried the İkidenizarası Bornova Misketi last fall when I saw their wines at La Cave in Cihangir. İkidenizarası is
Read MoreSeveral months ago, Midin Şarapçılık sent me a selection of wines from their new 2020 vintage. A friend introduced me to Midin last year.
Read MoreFinding Hungarian sparkling wine in Budapest is as easy as hopping in a cab! Located along the Danube on the Buda side of the
Read MoreIn 2021, Diren Winery celebrated the centennial of founder Mustafa Vasfi Diren's birth. It did it the only way this winery could; by releasing
Read MoreThis March at Oenorama in Athens, my friend Anna Maria of Unravelling Wine and Chania Wine Tours introduced me to the best Vidiano not
Read MoreIf you're looking for the perfect wine for this summer, I've got it for you: Gürbüz Mood (the white one!). Trakya-based winemaker Akın Gürbüz
Read MoreIt's summer. It's hot. Unless of course you live in the southern hemisphere but, if you do, you're probably dreaming of summer now! These
Read MoreThe Nif Bağları Aegean beyaz is not a new wine from Nif. They've been producing the Aegean series for several years now with white,
Read MoreWay back when I first visited Antioche in Hatay, they told me that one of the grapes they grew was Barburi Blanc. I was
Read MoreKeeping true to its brand, last year when 7Bilgeler released a new white blend, the winery named it for an ancient philosopher. The 7Bilgeler
Read MoreLast year on a visit to Athens, the owner of one of my favorite wine shops (Alpha Sigma) helped me pick out a few
Read MoreIf you know me, you probably know that I don't like Kavaklidere. My dislike has nothing to do with its size; it being one
Read MoreLast fall I finally made a pilgrimage back to Michigan. While there, I did a fair amount of shopping. Including, of course, a lot
Read MoreNearly extinct until the 1970s, Kalecik Karası has become of of Turkey's most popular and widely planted grapes. While red wines remain the most
Read MoreLast year I received a tasting set of Riedel Winewings from their Turkish importer KTD. One glass each for Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo,
Read MoreWhat do you get when a popular wine bar and a great winery form a partnership? A whole mess of new wines, that's what!
Read MoreSeveral months back I met a lovely new wine friend. Here in Turkey on vacation with her (equally lovely) mother, she got in touch
Read MoreThe Mor Salkım Volante Narince Emir is something of a rare blend. It's not unheard of at all, but not something we see frequently.
Read MoreLast year, we thrilled at Paşaeli's release of four pét-nats. This year, one more joins Paşaeli's - the Arcadia Sauvingon Gris Pét-Nat. I've seen
Read MoreI recently-ish wrote a post about some of the Malagousia wines I've enjoyed. I somehow left out the Ktima Zafeirakis Malagousia. Which is crazy
Read MoreRecently I wrote a post about (some of) the best Turkish Pinot Noirs. I left out two wines on purpose, the Ayda Bağları Pinot
Read MoreAnother new-ish winery to emerge in Turkey over the last few years is Taneanda. This Thrace-based winery has put out three vintages thus far,
Read MoreThe Chateau Gali Viognier is not a new wine. It's been around for a few vintages now. But it's not easy to get so
Read MoreWhile for reasons beyond my ken Karasakız is not more popular in Turkey, it is certainly one of the country's most facile grapes. One
Read MoreNew on the market last year, Etruscan Bağcılık introduced several new wines. While the winery got started in 2010, it kept pretty quiet
Read MoreThis month to celebrate spring and Easter, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, has invited the #Wineophiles group to share spring recipes and French
Read MoreFor several years Ma'Adra's Öküzgözü rosé has been one of my go-to rosés. But I've always wondered why they don't make a red. I
Read MoreOne of the newest members of the Urla Bağ Yolu, Çakır Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık prides itself on growing its vines just meters from its
Read MoreCab Franc day is long over but my love for the grape goes year 'round! I've had the Arcadia A Cabernet Franc before but
Read MoreAssyrian winery Midin sits farther east than any other winery in Turkey, practically at Syria’s doorstep. Located in the Şırnak province, the winery faces
Read MoreHave you ever had a bottle of wine that you know you should be drinking but you never seem to be in the right
Read MoreWhen Arda Bağcılık first started producing wines, it focused on international grape varieties like Cabernet and Shiraz. The family-run wine has slowly been introducing
Read MoreSelefkia Wine, a small, family winery has been reaching for the stars since it opened in 2008. Alaaddin Çerçi, along with his wife Sakine and
Read MoreLent started last week. What are you giving up? Sweets? Coffee? TV? I can tell you what I'm NOT giving up and that's wine.
Read MoreFor this month's Wine Paired Weekend event, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, has invited us to explore new to
Read MoreOne of the newer additions to the Turkish wine scene, Kayraklı Şarapçılık is based in the Muğla district of the Aegean. Founder Orhan Kayraklı
Read MoreWell, are they really the best Turkish Pinot Noir wines? Some of them are certainly the best in my opinion! But that title will
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