Blog

Your December 2021 Turkish Wine Horoscope

 

---

It’s December and Christmas is around the corner!! Is your tree up? Mine is and this year it’s covered with a new selection of wine label ornaments! So far not even naughty Dr. Watson has attempted to climb it. Perhaps she’ll received more than a lump of coal in her stocking this!

What does your horoscope say you should try drinking in December? Read on and find out!

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Take this month to stop and check in with yourself. How has the past year affected you? Often we blow off a lot of the external things in our life and don’t pay attention to how much stress they really cause us. Talk to your confidants about how your feelings and confidence have shot around this year like a ping pong ball. Opening up to others will encourage them to share with you as well. While they might not have any solutions for you, you’ll feel supported knowing that you’re not alone.

Start thinking about new goals for next year. Not one of those resolutions we all drop the instant we see a chocolate cake…but real goals.

The wine for you …

You need a wine with some complexity and layers that will help you explore your feelings. Try Midin Baluto Karkuş. From Şırnak, Midin’s Baluto Karkuş undergoes NO skin contact despite how it may look. This white grape has very thick skins that result in the deep color and a touch of tannin even without maceration. Oak ageing adds another layer of interest and flavor resulting in an herbal-vanilla orange explosion.

 Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Gird your loins, Pisces. I fear this is not going to be your best month ever. Keep your chin up and try to hang onto your optimism and faith this month as your relationships and dreams take a bit of a hit. Don’t let that all of that take you into a melancholy spiral though. Instead of dwelling on what could or should have happened this last year, focus instead on the good things that happened. Especially those that were unexpected.

Go ahead right now and think of three good things that were an utter surprise this year.

The wine for you …

One pleasant surprise for me this year was Selefkia’s Patkara – Gök Üzüm blush. Available in places like La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, and Rind, this is not your typical rosé. Selefkia co-fermented the two grapes and the resulting wine is weighty with red fruits, rosehips, and white pepper.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Up, up, and away! This is your month to rise – be it at work or generally making yourself known as a force to be reckoned with. Rely on yourself and work independently. This way you won’t be frustrated waiting on others to catch up. But – don’t get too cocky and make sure you can maintain your motivation.

The wine for you …

Speaking of self-reliance. Canan Gerimli is the queen. She’s the founder, winemaker, chemist, winery manager, wears all the hats one woman army at Gordias. Her Kalecik Karası is a true testament to what motivation can create. Find it at Solera, Mensis Mahzen, and Metro. 

 

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Bullheaded (if you’ll forgive the pun)? Not this month! This month is all about keeping an open mind and allowing yourself the ability to change your mind. Don’t be so unbending about your perspective. Rather, appreciate and even seek out new views and others’ guidance and perspectives.

What excites you? Get a book or find a podcast and let some new information help you grow mentally and spiritually.

The wine for you …

Keeping an open mind around wine is also important. One style of wine people write off or shy away from is amber/skin contact wine. Open your mind to a new wine and try Kastro Tireli Hermos. This Viognier Narince blend is made with organic grapes, native yeast fermentation, and extended skin contact. In its youth its peachy and juicy with soft tannins but as it ages it treats you to honeyed nuts and orange peels. You can find this one at Sensus in Kuruçeşme, Mensis Mahzen, La Cave, and Rind.

Gemini (May 20 – June 20)

Geminis, allow yourself to be honest about your feelings in any relationships; be they romantic, platonic, work, etc. If you don’t take the time to make sure that the relationship is really what you want, and not just something you’re settling for, you’ll lose your ability to develop as a person. And as that goes, so does much of your future!

Make sure that you’re ready, rather than making decisions based on any fears of missing out or running out of time.

The wine for you …

Very few wineries in Turkey have the space, money, patience, or frankly understanding re the necessity, to cellar their wine for a while before release. Chateau Nuzun is a notable exception. After barrel ageing and blending, her wines go back into tanks where gravity does its slow job of settling the wine. Resting in tanks for a few years before bottling also allows the blends to fully incorporate and smooth out any remaining soft edges. In shops like Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Solera, etc you can still find older vintages like 2012-2014.

She knows when things are ready. Maybe having a sip of her wine will give you some insight too.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Like Geminis, you need to have a deep look inward. This may be a turbulent month for you in your relationships, but it’s possible you’ve already felt the gathering storm. What once was so important to you no longer seems so vital. You need to be honest with yourself and others about these changes.

Pay attention to how the world and all its social media bombardments affect you and maybe think about cutting out some of these modern distractions (except of course this website!).

The wine for you …

Tomurcukbağ’s Trajan Kalecik Karası is all about getting back to what’s fundamental and important. Made by Prof. Dr. Y. Sabit Ağaoğlu, a scientist first and foremost, this wine is natural in the best way possible. Organic grapes, native yeasts, no oak, all the flavors of the grape with no noise getting in the way. Find it at Mensis Mahzen and La Cave. 

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Feeling bored lately? Dig in this month and find new motivation and a way to reignite your spark. Don’t just dive blindly with 100% of your force into whatever it is though. That will only result in the complete smothering of your inner fire. Commit to bringing more joy into your life by saying no and setting boundaries.

The wine for you …

A little tricky to track down (I know Carafe Istanbul has it…) but Vino Dessera’s new Entrika rosé blend is totally worth tracking down! Different than previous vintages of the Entrika rosé, this blends together Çalkarası and Emir with a splash of Öküzgözü for color.

If you shy away from pink wines, I promise you’ll like this wine which drinks more like a white than a rosé! It’s just the kind of fun and interesting wine you need to help bring a little joy into your life!

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Does anyone ever get a happy-go-lucky horoscope? If so (and I doubt it) sadly, Virgo, it’s not you this month. Introspection is your word of the month. How comfortable are you being you around the people in your life? If the answer is any variation of ‘not very’ then you may need to lower your guard, take down some walls, etc., etc.

Allowing yourself to be more free will help you better explore relationships, work, hobbies, and the creative side of your life.

The wine for you …

You’ve got a lot to deal with this month so for wine, something easy and uncomplicated. Prodom’s 2020 Rosé is just the trick. This blend of Syrah, Merlot, and Kalecik Karası has red fruits, tropical fruits, and a vibrant acidity that will both lift your mood and pair well with a lot of food! Find it at Mensis Mahzen, Macro Center, and Rind.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

December won’t necessarily be pleasant for you, Libra, but it will be the beginning of a new life. Difficult chapters in your life will come to an end this month and you’ll experience massive life transformations as you work through some past hurts. Give up some long-held sentimental belongings and let go of difficult memories that anchor you too firmly to your past .

The wine for you …

This month you need something a little sweet to soften the blow of everything going on. Sevilen’s Turkuaz is a semi-sweet Misket that really has only a touch of noticeable sugar. It’s fresh and charming with a floral and fruit character that will remind you of summer! Sip it on its own or pair with something spicy.

Not so easy to find, I’m afraid but if you want to jump in on an order to Sevilen give me a shout!

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)

We all cling to uncomfortable memories. You know the ones: the kind that bring waves anew of what you felt at the time. This is a sign that you haven’t fully healed from those past experiences. Consciously begin to forgive yourself or another behind those memories to set yourself free.

Alternatively, if resurfacing memories aren’t your problem but you’re still feeling blue…get into the habit of exploring your thoughts and the intentions behind them. You may discover that, even if you hadn’t meant to, you’re subconsciously putting a negative pall on your life. Break that habit now!

The wine for you …

To help get you into a place where you can go deep and examine your thoughts, you need a thinking. Saranta’s Chateau Murou Semillon takes you on a journey through layers of fruit tree and citrus fruit, chamomile, and lanolin all with an intriguing viscosity on the palate. Each sip will show you something new as you mull over the skill it took to make this. Available at Mensis Mahzen and Dekante.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)

Have a serious think this month about your relationship with work and money. Are harboring unhealthy beliefs or behaviors around spending and saving? Are you working only to amass more money and more things instead of to support a life?

Scrooge McDuck may have had a fun time swimming through his gold coins but, even if we had all that, we know the experience would be less than pleasant to attempt. So if you’re not doing the backstroke through your savings, why hold onto it so tightly? You need to find balance with how you view and treat money.

The wine for you …

Vinolus’s Emir Roussanne will give you a couple much needed lessons. One: you’ll be hard pressed to find a more balanced wine that this beautiful number! One sip may not exactly change your world, but how very special this wine is will wake you up to things more important in life than amassing money for amassment sake.

And two: this is not an inexpensive wine. It goes for about 350 TL at places like La Cave and Mensis Mahzen. But this month, the splurge is necessary.

Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)

It’s not been an easy year, has it? And it’s not just that little old global pandemic. You’ve been pushing hard at trying to climb all the professional and social ladders which has likely given you a skewed view of yourself and the world.

Time to take a step back and reconnect with your values. Devote some time to adopting a new mindset and working towards becoming the best version of yourself.

The wine for you …

The Barburi grape had a humble beginning. Growing wild around Hatay, locals used the grape to make wine at home or molasses. No one outside the area had ever heard of it. Antioche winery now makes two varietal wines with Barburi as well as a blend but go for the Antioche Barburi. Nothing pretentious here, this is a great drinking and food pairing red wine that is not trying to be above itself. Find it at La Cave and Mensis Mahzen.