Your November 2024 Turkish Wine Horoscope
It’s November! The year is drawing closer and closer to a close. Are you ready for it? Or are you, like me, still enjoying being in the moment of crisp autumnal weather and searingly blue skies? I find it hard to care much about tomorrow when today is so beautiful. Really the only thing about tomorrow that I think about, is which wine I am going to open!
What will you be opening in November? Read on to find out!
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
With chillier and greyer weather, we’ll all feeling the desire to hermit up with blankets and to not do anything. This month won’t be about coasting for you though. You’re getting a kick in the pants this month and will set aside all those things you half-heartedly committed to in order to focus on those things that excite you. As good as this might sound, be prepared. You’ll be thrown into a situation that’s a combination of having an unlimited budget in a candy store…and fighting your way out of a Hunger Games style situation. Which essentially means that, even though you’re doing something that excites you, it involves some challenging tasks. 
Hopefully you’re the Katniss in this story.
The wine for you …
If anyone knows about facing challenges, it’s Nazan Uzun. Her first vintage (I believe 2009), a huge storm hit just before harvest and destroyed the majority of her crop. She barely had enough grapes to do anything with them! Rather than making and bottling a bunch of varietal wines as she intended, she created what would become the winery’s signature blend and became a success. Since then, Nazan has been able to create any number of successful wines, blends and varietals. This month, open a bottle of the Chateau Nuzun Syrah, serve it with some grilled sucuk, and you’ll maybe some of her success will rub off on you.
Find the Syrah and other Chateau Nuzun wines at Carrefour, Macro Center, possibly Migros and Metro, La Cave, Dekante, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, I think Casa Botti…
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
You might already be asking yourself, “What do I desire, and what do I want next?” That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re unhappy in your current situation, so don’t feel guilty about having this question. It’s good to stop from time to time to ponder our current place. Use this questioning spirit this month to follow your intuition and determine if your current direction matches your vision board. Even if you’re feeling okay where you are now, this might just lead you to change your course to dream a little bigger. The sky’s the limit.
The wine for you …
Most wineries start with a dream. Alp Törüner had one. Growing up with French in-laws, he learned early to appreciate wine, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon. As an adult, he opened Büyülübağ and, while he makes a range of wines with native and international grapes, his range of Cabernet Sauvignons are his pride and joy. This November, enjoy a bottle of the Büyülübağ Wild Fermented Cabernet Sauvignon.
Look for it at Carrefour, iyi sarap, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Comedus, Solera. Savoy Tekel, and Vinus.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
A new month, a new moon, a new you! Look at November as a month of transformation, Aries. This is your chance to let go of what’s been holding you back, so you can truly thrive in all aspects of your life. One of those aspects is your ability to be a leader. Have you been reaching your full potential in this role? Are you a good, benevolent leader or an autocratic dictator? Would your team follow you into battle? 
The wine for you …
If you’re not quite sure how to create your leadership personality, look to the Urla Bağ Yolu’s undisputed king, Can Ortabaş. He kind of splits the difference as a benevolent dictator. But he’s made the Urla Bağ Yolu the country’s most visitable, and therefore most successful wine route. Doesn’t hurt that all the wineries are really close to each other…but still. He rules and they fall in line. Get inspiration from the Urla Şarapçılık Boğazkere this month.
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!
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
From time to time, we all feel a little shrunken. Like we’re not being heard or don’t have the power to speak out ourselves. If you’ve been feeling like this lately, take some time this month to think about how you’ve been sharing your ideas, dreams, and desires with the world and whether you’ve been using your voice to express them. It’s time to speak up and let your authentic self step on to the stage.
The wine for you …
One of my favorite winery origin stories is about Nif. When Gaye Özcan and her family started the winery, she was told that she had to plant Bordeaux grape varieties. That success wouldn’t be possible without them. Instead, she made a 100% Sangiovese and, more than 10 years later is still laughing at the guys who told her it couldn’t be done. This month, take a leaf from her book and stand up for something you believe and start by trying the Nif Bağları Sangiovese*!
*Now with a much much cooler label.
Get it from Carrefour, Iyi Sarap, La Cave, Macro Center, Savoy Tekel, possibly Casa Botti, Rind, Dekante, Grand Cru…it’s pretty available!
Gemini (May 20 – June 20)
Take care of your health this month, Gemini. November is likely to bring a number of physical health challenges. However, if you stick to (or start!) some healthy habits, you have a better chance of fighting them. Be it healthy eating habits, taking a morning constitutional, joining a gym or a class of some sort…jump into it with enthusiasm and commitment. 
The wine for you …
Just because you’re jumping into some healthy habits this month, doesn’t mean that you have to give up wine! Just keep it to the good stuff, like the wines from Kuzubağ! A good place to start, Kuzubağ Kalecik Karası. A charming family-run winery, the folks behind Kuzubağ are one of the wineries working to change the reputation behind the wines coming out of Çal. And while not a regional grape, their Kalecik Karası displays a lot of the grape’s fruity and spicy character for which we know and love this grape.
Look for this at places like Mensis Mahzen, Casa Botti, Iyi Sarap, Rind, Comedus, etc.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
November gives you the gift of happiness from within, Cancer. You will find space this month to allow yourself to be honest about your true desires. Not uncoincidentally, you will focus more on hour health and well-being habits this month. Supporting a healthy life-style leads to a clearer mind and happiness. That’s not just about eating your daily dose of carrot sticks though. Sometimes, it’s the little things like having a home spa day with face masks and foot soaks, discovering a new tea mix, or letting yourself sleep in without feeling guilty that make you feel aligned and elated.
The wine for you …
One little thing that certainly makes me feel happier is drinking good wine! This November, try something that’s not only good, but maybe new and adventurous for you! Something like Midin Wine’s Cehennem Deresi. A blend of the rare Bilbizeki and Mazrona, it’s a food-friendly wine you can enjoy with a number of dishes. Also, don’t be afraid to let this come up a little closer to room temperature. Straight out of the fridge is too cold for this one.
Midin wines are more and more available now and you can find them at Dekante, Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, and elsewhere.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Who do you consider family, Leo? November may inspire you to explore your roots, sense of belonging, and what home truly means to you. If you’ve been dipping your toes into revealing your authentic self, now is the time to embrace that unapologetically. Before long, it won’t just be your family who gets to see the ‘real you’—your colleagues at work will, too. Keep your head high, your shoulders squared, and don’t look back.
The wine for you …
Your family can often be the people with whom you share values and ideals. In that way, Yaban Kolektif is a little bit of a family with the founders’ shared belief of protecting native Turkish grapes. One of which has been Karasakız. And while Karasakız is not the rarest grape in Tukey, Yaban Kolektif has turned its sight on it anyway. Despite my doubts about some of their other efforts, this one is wow. Lucky for you, the Yaban Kolektif Karasakız is your wine this month! It’s a little pricey but worth the cost of entry. And absolutely perfect for the coming Thanksgiving feasts (if you celebrate one of America’s most oxymoronic holidays that is).
La Cave most certainly has this. You might also look at Santé Wine & More, Casa Botti, Dekante, maybe Grand Cru.
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
You’ve put in a lot of work examining and redefining the dynamics of your relationships. You’ve developed a more mature approach as to how to deepen connections while at the same time establish boundaries. Now is time to reap the rewards. One of those will be the ability to untangle yourself from any sticky attachments (love, work or otherwise) and fully embrace the gift of freedom.
The wine for you …
Sometimes attachments are good and can help you, like the community behind the Urla Bağ Yolu. But sometimes you want freedom, like Hus Şarapçılık. On the doorstep of the wine route, but completely independent. This month, try the Hus Emir. Hus gets its Emir, clearly not an Urla grape, from its homeland in Cappadocia and makes one of the country’s most beautiful Emir wines with it.
Sadly not super widely available but usually you can find it at Santé Wine & More and Solera, I’ve seen it at Casa Botti…let me know if you find it somewhere else!
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
It’s essential to make new financial commitments that invest in yourself. Focus on elevating yourself in a way that has the potential for significant future returns. For example, consider putting some money aside to start that side hustle you’ve been contemplating all year. Or, should your own business or side hustle already be up and running, don’t be afraid to invest a little more into it. Going your own way is scary, but you have the drive and clear planning vision to make a success. 
The wine for you …
Two people who know well about this are Fulya and José. This Turkish-Spanish winemaking wife-husband duo have made (and still are) wine for other Turkish wineries for years and they now have their own label. Your wine this month is Heraki Akuarela Sultaniye. And I know what you’re thinking. Sultaniye, really? Yes really! This is an exciting wine that will change the way you think about this grape and will maybe be your first step to exploring other new things.
Get it from places like Casa Botti, Grand Cru, Mensis Mahzen, probably Mahzen 26, Santé Wine & More, and elsewhere.
Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)
November is a month of transformation and time for shrugging off things weighing you down. It is the perfect moment to redefine ‘you,’ as you may have outgrown certain aspects of your life that could be holding you back. Whether that’s old dreams that didn’t work out, promises that weren’t kept, or relationships that aren’t working. Remember though that transformation doesn’t have to mean you shed the entire dream/project/relationship what have you. Take some time to examine what’s holding you back and work to repair or get rid of the bad seed element or aspect before ditching everything entirely.
The wine for you …
The folks behind Eskibağlar Öküzgözü know all about changing direction when they’ve outgrown part of their life. Tired of the frenetic pace of Istanbul city life, they moved to a village outside Elazığ to pursue a new dream: wine. While most wineries are running around making wine with popular, international grapes, trying to compare their vineyards to Napa, Tuscany, or Bordeaux, Eskibağlar does not. The winery and vineyards are in Elazığ, the land of Öküzgözü. So they don’t try to imitate other wine regions. They make Elazığ wine and are proud of it.
Find it at Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Savoy Tekel, Mahzen 26, sometimes Carrefour, macro Center, Metro…
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)
November should be a great month for you, Sagittarius! A month of release from physical anxiety turning toward sensual living, the ability to indulge in your hedonistic tendencies, enriching opportunities, and even wise investments! Should that we were all so lucky. Enjoy the month but remember to stay grounded and not lose yourself in Sybaritic adventures. 
The wine for you …
Wine life in Turkey does not get more hedonistic than the Arcadia 333! Easily one of the best wines coming out of the country, especially in the sweet category, this wine is made with a combination of late harvest and botrytised Sauvignon Blanc grapes. It has exotic citrus and floral flavors paired with honey and searing acidity. Enjoy it on its own, with creamy and/or blue cheeses, Asian foods with a heavy ginger influence, or with spicy foods! However you enjoy it though, do it with all the enthusiasm of a Dionysian bacchanal!
Find it at Dekatne, İyi Şarap, La Cave, Macro Center, Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, Rind, Santé Wine & More, etc.
Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)
This is a significant month for you, Capricorn. While you may present a tough exterior, we all know there’s a soft side beneath. Complete your self-actualizing journey this month so you can fully own your truths and ways of being, leaving behind any need to role-play as someone else. Let this freedom fill you with a refreshed sense of optimism for the world and your role in it.
The wine for you …
One you can express what ‘being yourself’ looks is like through the projects you undertake. While living in the US, Selva İşmen fell in love with Zinfandel. Back in Turkey and at a loss with what to do with herself, she decided to attempt winemaking. After much experimentation and buying grapes from friends and local wineries, Selva found her way. But she wasn’t truly able to be herself until moving her operations to Bodrum where she planted…you guessed it…Zinfandel. Take inspiration from her and open a bottle of Karnas Zinfandel this month.
Not always super easy to find but you can ask at Mensis Mahzen (Ali usually has it) check at Dekante, Casa Botti, Rind…
Please Help Turkey and Syria!
Turkey and Syria are still in desperate need of help after the horrific earthquakes that have decimated large areas of Turkey’s south east and northern Syria, please consider donating to one of the relief efforts if you are able:
- Animal rights organization Haytap is helping animals affected by the earthquake, and displaced people who need a place to stay with their pets. Other animal-focused groups such as Dört Ayaklı Şehir (Four-Legged City) and Work Animals Rescue Foundation, are also helping farm animals, street animals, and pets.
- Donate to civil society groups working on the ground to provide immediate relief and medium- to long-term recovery to survivors via UK-based Turkey Mozaik Foundation or US-based Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
- Donate to the volunteer response being carried out in Turkey by the trusted, independent NGOs İhtiyaç Haritası (Needs Map) or Ahbap.
- Hayata Destek (Support to Life), is a Turkish NGO experienced in providing humanitarian relief and working with underserved communities.
- World Central Kitchen provides funds and food to those still living in tents in the affected areas.
- To support rescue efforts in Syria, donate to White Helmets and SAMS.
- Field Ready Türkiye (Sahaya Hazır İnovasyon Derneği) is a team of engineers working in Gaziantep, Turkey, and northwest Syria who make cheap, low-tech airbags for search and rescue from buildings which have collapsed. “If we move fast they can make more,” a good friend who previously worked with the team writes. “The workshops in Syria also have vast experience of fixing essential medical equipment, and making insulated shelters – both greatly needed right now”