Your November 2022 Turkish Wine Horoscope
Merlober is in the rearview mirror so we can get back on with wine that isn’t Merlot this month! So far (knock on wood) it’s been a rather beautiful autumn. Hopefully things continue that way!
I can’t promise any such smooth sailings in your horoscope, but I can promise some nice wine recommendations? How do I manage to do that every month? Must be the plants aligning or some other such nonsense.
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
November presents you with an opportunity to heal by taking a deep dive into your past to explore how your early childhood experiences have influenced your emotional attachments. This will lead to further emotional fulfillment by creating opportunities to clear the air with a family member from whom you are estranged.
Take advantage of these chances! Even if, in the latter case, the family member has not reached the same place of healing or forgiveness as you have. Be the bigger person and let go of any hurt or grudges to which you’re clinging.
The wine for you …
Have you had Assyrian wine yet? If not this is your month to try it! Midin Miras red blend – the 2020 if you can find it! It’s full of delicious raspberry, sweet spices, and vanilla goodness. If you haven’t transitioned into red wine yet this is a good intro to get back into it. And you’ll learn about some super rare Turkish grapes while doing so!
Look for it…well so many places now. Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Santé Wine & More, I think Casa Botti, and a handful of places that aren’t in my regular rotation so I don’t remember their names…
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
You’re firing on all cylinders this month Pisces! With spikes to your ambition and self-confidence you’ll feel pushed to achieve goals and dreams. All of which could lead toward the future you’ve always dreamed of. But, a word of caution. Don’t rush it. Don’t try to skip steps just to escape any discomfort currently in your life. Particularly if that discomfort is not actually knowing what that future you want is.
It’s OK to admit that you don’t know where life is going — just embrace the ride.
The wine for you …
Kuzubağ Çal Karası Kalecik Karası rosé is a great introduction for you this month to one of Turkey’s newest wineries. A 50/50 blend this rosé looks pale but its personality is anything but! Sure to please even rosé detractors. Look out for reviews on this and all the winery’s wines on my blog soon!
Find this at Grape Wine Boutique, İyi Şarap, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, and Savoy Tekel.
Aries (March 21 – April 19) 
Brace yourself. Words everyone wants to read at the beginning of their horoscope…
November might not start out super fun for you. You may experience unexpected disruptions to your routine or the sudden loss of a personal item that will test your sense of comfort and security. However, stay cool and collected and ride it out because the month will get better as long as you hang onto your positivity. Remember that everything, including your current difficulties, is temporary and these things too shall pass.
The wine for you …
A light-hearted wine is what you need this month Aries. Try the Vino Dessera Muscat of Alexandria. I know, people hear (or in this case see) “Muscat” and immediately think sweet. This is a dry but highly aromatic white wine that is just delightful to drink. It will certainly help lift your spirits during the beginning of this month.
Look for it at Aperitivo, Carafe Istanbul, Casa Botti, Dekante possibly Carrefour and Macro Center.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Your journey of self-discovery continues this month with some difficult realizations about mistakes you’ve made in the past. Take time this month to forgive yourself for those mistakes. There’s no going back to fix them now so take what you can from them as a learning experience, forgive yourself, and move on.
Life lessons are called that for a reason. What matters is NOT how guilty you feel about past mistakes but that you acknowledge them and take what you’ve learned from them into the future.
The wine for you …
Karalahna doesn’t get talked about often. Likely because only like two Bozcaada wineries work with it. Two Bozcaada wineries, and Akın Gürbüz. The Gürbüz Karalahna has all the dark fruit flavors we like from this grape with an elegant rounding out by some deftly used oak. If Akın made it, it’s going to be delicious.
Find it on İyi Şarap and at places like Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, possibly Santé Wine & More, and elsewhere.
Gemini (May 20 – June 20)
This make, allow yourself to be open to approaches from people in your life with whom you’ve been on rocky terms. A forthcoming apology from one of them will allow you to begin healing and moving on – but only if you’re open to receiving it.
Make sure that you’re not holding onto old issues and allowing them to influence your current relationships. Put them behind you as quickly and definitively as possible. To help do that, give a generous amount of love, time, and attention to your loved ones. Don’t allow negative emotions to hold you back.
The wine for you …
Suvla Karasakız Blush is kind of stupid expensive for a basic Suvla wine. But this is still your wine this month (sorry/not sorry). It’s not a namby pampy pink wine but a seriously flavorful and savory rosé that showcases this still sadly under the radar grape’s delicious character.
Buy it from Carrefour, Macro Center, and of course the various Suvla shops.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Changes are afoot in your social circle. Someone leaving or a power balance shifting…whatever it may be, don’t take things too personally and try to not be overly disappointed by the change. We all need to know when to let go of a relationship or connection when it’s not good for us or doesn’t bring us happiness.
And while I usually don’t advocate for working overly much (I’m a bare minimum kind of person) the “stars” are telling you pour time into your work this month as a healthy way to escape what’s troubling you.
The wine for you …
Apparently the “stars” aren’t ready to let go of warmer weather yet because there’s a lot of rosé wine happening this month. For you too, Cancer! Your wine, the Tasheli Patkara Kalecik Karası Rosé. This is unlike any rosé you’ve ever had. It’s somewhat exotically fruity, weighty on the palate, and pleasantly confusing. Enough that you’ll keep going back for another sip!
Look for this at Casa Botti, possibly Grape Wine Boutique, Mensis Mahzen, and elsewhere.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
This November is a great time to believe in your potential to succeed at anything you’re passionate about. It’s always a good time for that really, but for those of you Leos who’ve been on the fence about your current career path, events this month might help shove you over to one side or the other. So, it’s especially important to believe in yourself and your chosen path this month. Particularly if the path you’ve chosen seems like the more difficult way.
The wine for you …
Leos too will be drinking pink this month with the Paşaeli Çalkarası Mermaid rosé. Part of the winery’s Çalkarası series, the “Mermaid” is a darker wine that macerated on the skins for a bit to create juicy berry flavors and a lightly tannic palate.
Try finding this at places like Dekante, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, likely Mahzen 26, possibly Carrefour and Macro Center…
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Life doesn’t always (i.e. rarely) goes the way we anticipate or want it to. That does not mean that your dreams and efforts have been a waste of time. Even when things don’t pan out, the experiences we have while trying are so important to shaping who we are and what next steps we take. Try to not let disappointments of broken dreams seep into your subconscious to fester into fear and self-doubt.
The wine for you …
Your wine this month is the Saranta Chateau Murou Öküzgözü. Sure you could save some TL and by the Saranta Öküzgözü (which is perfectly lovely) but go up a quality step this month and get the Chateau Murou line. Gown entirely onsite in the winery’s Kırklareli vineyards, this oak-aged Öküzgözü will soon become your new favorite iteration of this grape.
Look for it at Dekante, Mensis Mahzen, sometimes İyi Şarap.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Your security blanket may momentarily be stripped away, bringing shocking realizations about your self-worth that may affect your sense of stability. Take some time to consider whether or not you have a healthy attachment to your material belongings. It’s okay to be attached…but you have to balance that with knowing that they’re only things and they don’t define you.
This sudden loss of your security blanket may prompt you to make a few changes in your life this month. For example, go ahead and voice your hurt feelings instead of always pretending that you’re fine. Keeping the peace with others shouldn’t come at the expense of silencing yourself. However – keep in mind that others around you might be doing the exact same thing to keep the peace with you. So do not open this door unless you’re prepared to have it slammed against your ass as you walk through it.
The wine for you …
Talk about ripping away a security blanket…we all know and love Antioche Barburi (or should anyway). But what if I told you that Barburi is both a black AND a white grape?? Mind blown!! Because it is and your wine this month is the Antioche Barburi Blanc. I do not mean blanc de noir, I mean blanc. It might be a little chilly for such a refreshing white wine, but you’ll thank me anyway.
Available at Casa Botti, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, possibly La Cave.
Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)
Me, in lieu of a label!
How well do you cope with change? You may be on the verge of ending a chapter with a loved one and starting a new journey that will test your ability to let go of the past and welcome the future. Trust that what’s coming for you is better than what you have now. Focus on building a sturdy foundation for your relationships that is centered around trust and mutual freedom.
The wine for you …
Change can be good, but when you do something well there’s nothing wrong with sticking to it. Such is the case with the Tafali Kalecik Karası Rosé. Located in Kalecik, Tafali is a newer winery that focuses on, surprise surprise, Kalecik Karası. They made a red and pink.
Find it at Casa Botti, Rind, Santé Wine & More, and elsewhere.
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)
Look for a rocky start to the month as you deal with some uncomfortable work issues that arise. Changes to your work environment will disrupt your regular routine and require you to get used to a new one. However, as the month goes on you’ll feel some of your positivity returning and your regular enthusiasm for life will take over.
Use that life to explore your interests, learn something new, and teach the people around you how to live in the moment. Try to keep a positive attitude through life’s ups and downs.
The wine for you …
Urla isn’t usually where you would go to find a great wine made from Boğazkere; but it’s there! And at Urla Şarapçılık no less! The Urla Boğazkere is made, not from grapes brought across the country from vineyards in Diyarbakır, but from the winery’s own vineyards. In fact, it is Boğazkere vines that surround the winery.
This wine has a different personality than other Boğazkere’s and shows plumper fruit flavors with a softer, plushier tannin structure.
Try finding it at Carrefour, Macro Center, ask Mensis Mahzen to order it, Savoy Tekel and La Cave sometimes carry it…it’s around somewhere!
Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)
Be prepared this month to let go of a project or relationship that you knew deep down wasn’t really going work. It’ll be painful at first but you know it’s for the best. Take what you’ve learned from the experience and use it to acquire more wisdom — consider what went well and what you want going forward.
Don’t let yourself doubt your decisions here. But, if self-doubt sneaks up on you anyway, reach out to your friends who can help you stay focused on the bigger picture.
The wine for you …
Your wine, Chateau Nuzun Rose which is a power blend including Merlot, Çatal Karası, Öküzgözü, and Zinfandel. This is a darker rosé displaying aromas of red fruit an herbs and that has some serious structure going on. Very food friendly too.
Not always an easy wine to find but I know for a fact that Rind carries it (I just bought a bottle myself recently).