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Your April 2025 Turkish Wine Horoscope

 

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Spring has officially sprung! Sure, the temperature dropped a bit there in March, but (knock on wood) we seem firmly settled into spring now. I don’t especially have a green thumb. That does not stop me from gardening though and I am full on into it. April showers bring May flowers and all that. I’m thinking of buying a grow lamp for the darker rooms in my apartment. Do you like to garden? What are your favorite things to do when that fresh smell of spring fills the air? 

April can be a beautiful month, especially with the tulip festival coming soon! But spring is a harsh season. Rebirth is not for the weak. Brace yourself, grab a bottle, and get ready to face whatever the universe throws. What will you be drinking this month? Read your Turkish Wine Horoscope to find out!

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Despite the vibrant energy of spring that surrounds you, April brings you a period of calm and introspection. This month presents a unique blend of challenges and opportunities that encourage you to adopt new strategies and embrace a different pace of life. On the one hand, all this spring energy has you at your spiciest best! However, you’ll want to guard your tongue for the first week or two of the month if you want to avoid unnecessary drama. Elsewhere, where you typically thrive on momentum and immediate action, you’ll find that patience and deliberation yield better results this month.

The wine for you …

It’s actually pretty good practice to be intentional in every aspect of your life, not just when you think you should hold your tongue. When someone does something intentionally, they mean to do it. They think about every aspect. Which is why wine made with intention is so often excellent. This month, drink Canavar Ampelo Karasakız.

Can and Duygu Kırış are a great example of people doing this. Their intention is to respect nature and so they practice ecological and sustainable farm practices. They approach the winemaking itself with the same mentality, making sure it’s the Karasakız you taste, and not winemaking hocus pocus.

You won’t find this just anywhere. Try more specialty shops like Santé Wine & More, La Commune, Grand Cru, Comedus, and Casa Botti (if it’s ever open).

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

This month is all about expression and connection. Allow yourself to break free from anything holding you back from allowing your true self to shine. April not only gives you the space but encourages you to be open, to share something personal, or to initiate a meaningful conversation. Maybe this is something you’ve been wanting to do, but have felt held back by an invisible force. Everything will align this month and you will feel a path open up to support honest communication.

The wine for you …

Drinking Turkish wine can be a pretty big gamble. The general lack of regulations and transparency mean you cannot always trust what’s on the label. Thankfully, there are a few wineries that believe in honesty and integrity whose wine you can trust. One such winery: Paşaeli. 

Part of that honesty and integrity is what has Paşaeli saving old vineyards from being ripped up; like the 90+ year old plot of Semillon in Tekirdağ. A vineyard that has seen history was soon to be history to make way for commercial development. Thanks to the winery, we’re now richer by maintaining these very old vines and by the excellent Paşaeli Atadan Asmalar Semillon,

Look for this wherever you would find Paşaeli wines: Comedus, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Grand Cru, Santé Wine & More, Dekante, Macro Center, etc. 

Gemini (May 20 – June 20)

April is all about friendships for you, so it’s a good thing you are the zodiac’s social butterfly because your calendar will be full, full, full! Make plans to see your friends and try to initiate a new group activity. Check in with people you haven’t seen in a while. Sometimes a ‘hey, you popped into my head and I just wanted to say hi” kind of message can mean the world to someone. It also gives you an opportunity to rekindle a friendship that may have fallen to the wayside.

The wine for you …

Wine is a tough business. Part of making it in this industry is how close you can keep your friends. 502 Vineyards is a great example of that. The friendship between owners Mert Atay and Rifaa Wais and Mahzen 26’s Nadiya Bıçakcı has created a strong business relationship involving their winery, her store, and a new import/export business. This month, bring your friends closer by sharing a bottle of 502 Vineyards Merzifon Karası Rosé a new wine available this year from the winery.

Not widely available, look for this and other 502 Vineyards wines at Mahzen 26, possibly Grand Cru, sometimes on Iyi Sarap…

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

April brings you a special challenge, and hopefully you don’t rely too much on the stars for guidance because they are keeping mum on all issues this month. You may feel caught between two paths this month: 1. to forge ahead with energy and focus, take on new projects, start a new relationship, etc.; and 2. feeling that external circumstances or subtle cues might suggest that now isn’t the ideal time for such intense dynamics and activity. This push-pull dynamic can be confusing and frustrating and make you feel uncertain about how (or if!) to move forward. With the stars remaining neutral, all decisions remain firmly in your hands. Carefully weigh the pros and cons of each path and trust your instincts.

The wine for you …

Bilge Yamen at 7Bilgeler has been caught between two paths for a while: make wine with international grapes, or make wine with native grapes. For a long time he was following path one. Luckily for us, wine allows one to follow windy roads that cover multiple paths simultaneously! While not abandoning his international grapes, the last several years he’s thrown himself into working with native varieties. In honor of the spring season, this month try one of his newest: 7Bilgeler Vindemia Rüzgar Karasakız Rosé (review soon). 

Look for this at places like La Commune, Iyi Sarap, Rind, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Dekante, maybe Santé Wine & More and Casa Botti…

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

They say that spring is not a season for the gentle; no (re)birth without death, only the strong survive the scars of winter to grow again, etc. As the zodiac’s lion full of teeth and claws, gentle is not really in your wheelhouse so you only feel energized during spring. Put that extra energy somewhere constructive this month: start a class, pick up a new skill, hone one that’s become rusty. April urges you towards education, specifically towards something that will help you achieve your goals. What is your goal? What are the roadblocks on the way? What skill(s) do you need to blast through the roadblocks? Define these things early in the month then find a course/seminar/YouTube video etc that will help open that path.

The wine for you …

We all know that Turkish wineries generally know about roadblocks. And often have pretty ingenious methods of getting around them. Heraki faced a huge roadblock on its way to its first vintage. The winery currently has no vineyards of its own, rather it sources grapes from independent growers. Owners Fulya and Jose found a beautiful Boğazkere vineyard in Denizli, likely the oldest one in Denizli(!) and really wanted to work with the owner. However, that gentleman had other plans. He was going to rip out his 30+ year-old Boğazkere to plant…wait for it…Merlot. The horror!! Fulya and Jose convinced him to sell them his grapes and he agreed…but that year only! Then he would rip them out. Next year the same story, and the year after that. Slowly, they built a relationship. The owner (and now his sons) saw the respect Fulya and Jose have for the vineyard and grapes and now they have a great relationship. This April, drink the wine made from those very grapes: the Heraki Novakula (review soon).

Pick this up at places like La Commune, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Grand Cru, maybe Santé Wine & More, Comedus might have it…

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Virgo, concentrate on your finances this month. The first three weeks of April especially will present opportunities to attract additional funds. Consider getting a financial manager or working with someone else who can give you wise advice about investing and opening passive income streams. Consider how you might turn a hobby into revenue or how you might amp up a current side hustle.

Take the time to pay all your bills and clear any debts this month as well as chasing down money owed to you.

The wine for you …

While you’re looking into those finances, probably better to stick to the more economic side of wine this month. I’ve got one for you that is totally crushable AND (as of the writing of this) around 300 TL. No joke. Arda Dokuz Sekiz (white). A classic white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, this is Arda’s table wine but it is surprisingly good for what it is. And because it’s so darn quaffable, will be a crowd pleaser if you decide to take it to any of those events you’ll be attending!

Check places that sell Arda generally for this, Rind may well have it, Carrefour definitely does, probably your local tekel!

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Expect more intensity in your relationships this month due to an increase in direct communication. April opens up the possibility of healthier communication and compromise, two things you may have been lacking recently. If something has been bothering you, but you’ve kept it to yourself and let it fester, open up about it. You’re allowed to let your loved ones know what’s up. Talk it (and anything else) out with them. If you’re worried that you won’t have the right words, first write down what you want to say, or at least the points you want to make. Don’t be embarrassed to bring that with you and refer to it if the discussions gets too emotional.

The wine for you …

Yaban Kolektif is another example of building a business through relationships. Without its relationships, it wouldn’t exist! Yaban Kolektif itself is a partnership between two people. Neither of them are winemakers or have a winery so they have partnered with several different wineries since their inception. While recently Yaban Kolektif acquired its first vineyard, most of the grapes used come from independent growers…ergo more relationships! This month, try the Yaban Kolektif “Küpte” Sungurlu (review soon). 

Trickier to find I think, look at La Commune, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Casa Botti, Grand Cru, Kiffé, Santé Wine & More…

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)

Spring promises to be a rewarding season for you this year, Scorpio and you should see some positive developments in your life from the very first days of April. All the effort, the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve been pouring into your life (be it relationships, work, or otherwise) are getting ready to pay off. Even small victories will give you a sense of accomplishment, boosting your optimism and confidence. Yes, this is a promising period, but remember that not everything is all roses (or, since we’re talking Turkey in April, tulips) all the time. Even if you make a mistake along the way, don’t feel discouraged. Embrace challenges as stepping stones rather than obstacles—they are opportunities for growth and learning.

The wine for you …

Celebrate those small victories this month with Likya Fersun. Likya has had a number of victories over the years. Despite it being a huge achievement, could consider discovering lost grapes a “small” victory in the larger scheme of a successful wine industry. Likya started out giving us a new grape every year or so beginning with Acıkara, then Fersun and Merzifon Karası, and Tilki Kuyruğu. But now have lost they damn minds, debuting a suspiciously lot more grapes they “found” (really, the “a shepherd led us to the vine” story really only works once, maybe twice). And naming them all after themselves with Likya Işığı, Arya Özkan, Likya Ateşi, and a handful more. All that aside, the Fersun it pretty fantastic.

Look for this at Mensis Mahzen, La Cave, Rind, Dekante, Grand Cru, Santé Wine & More, Macro Center, sometimes Iyi Sarap, maybe Comedus and Casa Botti…

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)

Dive into the spring spirit with domestic activities. Do a spring deep clean, get your hands dirty clearing out the garden and planting flowers and herbs, freshen up the paint on your walls, etc. Really commit to doing these projects though. There’s often the danger of starting something like this, but then leaving the paint cans and drop cloths piled up in a corner for months on end. This season of renewal is often full of hectic energy, some of which you’ll feel driving you towards these projects; but once you complete them, the remainder of this period will offer you a sense of calm and steadiness.

 The wine for you …

The folks behind Midin Wines know how to get people on board with their plans. Families in Midin village were on the verge of pulling up their ancestral grapevines (many of which are over 100 years old!) to plant easier and more lucrative crops, like watermelon. The Ürek family, not wanting to lose the Assyrian village’s wine heritage, stepped in. They founded Midin Wines and convinced the villagers to sell them their grapes, instead of destroying the vineyards. This month, drink one of the wines – the Midin Cudi (beyaz) or the Midin Cehennem Derisi (beyaz) – made from the grape Bilbizeki – a fascinating grape found, it seems, only in that village. 

You can try to find either of these wines at places like Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Grand Cru, Metro, possibly Casa Botti or Dekante.

Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)

You and Sagittarius are twins this month! The Sun in April puts you firmly in control of your domestic world. Now is the time to tackle those home improvement projects you’ve been putting off. If you’ve had pushback from people in your family or contractors about what you’ve wanted to do, you will find it’s easier to sway people to your side during April. That doesn’t mean it will be easy to get these projects done, but you will persevere and get everything accomplished. You can celebrate towards the end of the month by inviting over folks to admire all the improvements you’ve made. 

The wine for you …

You need a reasonably priced crowd-pleaser to offer all the people you’ll be hosting! It’s not easy (or possible) to please everyone, but it’s hard to go wrong with the Vinkara Atelier Hasandede. This grape doesn’t get a lot of love but it sure gives it with juicy citrus and ofttimes semi-tropical flavors. 

Happily this also pretty easy to find. Get it from Carrefour (possibly also Macro Center), La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Online Mahzen, Vinus, Kavin, Santé Wines & More, etc.

(Yes, I’m still using an old picture because, however not great this label was, it was so much better than the current label.)

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

April might feel a little discouraging on a professional front with no forthcoming breakthroughs or milestones. Don’t let this dampen your spirit! There is potential buried in this month; a foundational step that may not bring immediate change but will pave the way for success. Avoid making any rash decisions out of panic or desperation this month. Exercising patience will give you a much better pay off in the future.

That said, be prepared for swift action if the moment requires it. Trust your gut to know when it’s time to pounce.

 The wine for you …

Turkey has so very many grapes. Over 1.450 at last count! Can all of them make wine? No, a lot of them are table grapes. Are all the vitis vinifera wine grapes capable of making great wine? Also no. How do we know what will or won’t? Well, it really takes a winery willing to put some money behind finding out. Over the last couple years, that’s something Akberg has done with grapes like Kecimen, Erciş Karası, and Osmanca. With the two reds, they’re experimenting to see if these are simple reds, or can they take oak ageing and cellaring? With the Osmanca, is this a simple, crisp white wine? Could it possibly be more? They answered that with what you should be drinking this month: the Akberg Late Harvest Osmanca.

The universe is going to make you work for this one…likely Grand Cru will carry this. Where else…let me know if you find out! If you can’t find the late harvest, the universe will accept you drinking the dry version. You can find that at Grand Cru, Solera, and a couple few other places. 

 Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Lately, it might seem like nearly everyone in your close circle—friends, family, and acquaintances—is unintentionally trying to steer you off the right path. No doubt their advice is well-meaning and there are not ill-intentioned motivations behind this; but the advice they’re giving is just not right or realistic for your situation. Use your judgement to discern whether or not you can apply anything that you’re hearing and receive the advice with the grace its been offered.

The wine for you …

When Gaye Özcan and her family started Nif Bağları, all the older, male winery owners told her she needed to plant Bordeaux grapes to be successful. But Gaye didn’t want to work with Bordeaux grapes. So she planted Sangiovese and Montepulciano. And Syrah because this is Turkey. Gaye and Nif Bağları also helped pioneer the dry Bornova Misketi trend.

Not listening to advice has made Nif Bağları successful! Although do take my advice about wine and this moth drink the Nif Montepulciano Syrah. 

Look for it at Carrefour, Iyi Sarap, Mahzen 26, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen and more.