Your October 2024 Turkish Wine Horoscope
How is it October already?! I know that I for one wanted the heat and humidity of summer to be over, but I blinked and it’s October?? Possibly I missed September while my power and water were out because this city can’t get itself together to actually fix the infrastructure. Hopefully though, October will go better than did September.
Regardless, autumn is truly upon us! Calendarily in any case and if we’re lucky, cooler weather and lower humidity will follow. Does this mean that it’s time to break into all those big red wines again? Read on to find out!
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
October invites you to engage in a little introspection, gain a deeper connection with your inner self, and decide how what you learned jives with your public image. How do your values and goals line up with the way you present yourself to the world? Use this as a chance to explore whether your career/life path needs to be aligned a little more closely with your values, or if you’re really presenting the world with a true reflection of who you are. If your public image is really misaligned with your values and your true self, ask yourself why and have the courage to show everyone your real self. 
The wine for you …
Chamlija winery has a very clear image and sense of itself that it presents to the consumer, as a winery that produces but high-quality wine but that also isn’t afraid to experiment with styles and grapes. This month, try a wine from one of the grapes the winery has introduced to Turkey: the Chamlija Kadarka.
Not an easy Chamlija to find. Likely suspects would be Online Mahzen, Iyi Sarap, Rind, Casa Botti, Dekante, Comedus, maybe Santé Wine & More.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
The weather may be cooling down but there is an area of your life heating up this month, Pices. Your sense of exploration! Allow October to feed your motivation in setting ambitious goals and broadening your horizon. It doesn’t matter if this is related to work, relationships, planning your next holiday, or adding a new language on Duolingo (Have you checked out the new music lessons? They’re quite fun.). Lean into the exploration in whichever direction it takes you. 
The wine for you …
Continue your exploration this month with a new wine! Try the Mozaik Mahrem Derya blanc de noir Sangiovese. An unusual wine in any country, but especially in Turkey. Possibly a new grape to you, but more than likely a new style of an old grape!
(Okay so I don’t have a picture of this one)
Find it at places like Mensis Mahzen and Rind.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
This month is about asserting your individuality and using that in your own transformative growth. Some of us know very well which of our aspects hint at or even shout from the mountains what makes us individual and embrace those things. Some know but hide them, and some don’t know at all. Decide first where you are on that spectrum. If you’re one of the lucky ones in the former group, then enjoy the wine and your pass on self realization work this month. But if you fall in either of the latter two categories, make sure you take time this month to either decide why you’re hiding your individuality – and what dreadful world-ending consequences would befall you if you decided to stop hiding; or make a plan to uncover in yourself what makes you unique 
The wine for you …
Talk a out being an individual…Antioche winery is the only winery in the world working with the native to Hatay grape, Barburi. This month then, open a bottle of the Antioche Özel Seri, a truly unique blend of Barburi and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winery owner Abud Abdo has no fears about putting himself – and his wines – out there for everyone to see. Take a sip of his wine and a leaf out of his book and do the same!
Find this at places like Iyi Sarap, Mensis Mahzen, possibly La Cave, Macro Center, Savoy Tekel, Dekante…
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
A subtle shift in tone or behavior may go unnoticed by some, but not you! If you sense changing dynamics and tensions with your loved ones, let them open up in their own time. Avoid assuming their bad mood is about you, or you may pry and push them for explanations they don’t have — causing frustration for both of you. Try to help encourage good communication with them, and others in your life, by being clear in your own communications. 
The wine for you …
If you need something to help smooth the way, open a bottle of Uçmakdere Firuze Cabernet Sauvignon, one of my go-to Cabs! This smooth wine is fantastic for this cooler weather and is so well-made, it will inspire you to find all the right words for easier and better communications.
Find this at places like Mensis Mahzen and A Wine Store.
Gemini (May 20 – June 20)
Creative energy surrounds you almost like a visible nimbus this month. Use this burst of energy to reevaluate your approach to romance and self-expression and how these two areas of your life are – or are not – contributing to your joy and fulfillment. Channel some of this creative juice into revisiting past dreams and inner motivations. How many lay unfulfilled, forgotten, or put aside. You may be able to revitalize some of these to help support this month’s quest.
The wine for you …
Need some more creative inspiration? Try the Asmadan Vals Macabeo Narince. This is an unexpected wine from Asmadan winery which, to my knowledge, is the only winery in Turkey working with the Spanish grape Macabeo. It’s light and easy which is what you need this month, and absolutely delicious.
This one isn’t super widely available but you can find it at Casa Botti and Grape Wine Boutique. Dekante is a likely suspect. You could also ask Mensis Mahzen to order it for you. They’re no stranger to Asmadan wines and might be open to that.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
October encourages you towards authentic self-expression and the exploration of new passions. This emphasis on creativity and self-expression will create space for you to both pursue personal projects and enjoys life’s pleasures. Despite how much we might wish it were otherwise, we can’t just whip up a batch of creativity and take a bite whenever we need a top up. Find ways to turn on that creativity like learning a new language or skill, which may also be how you discover a new passion. 
The wine for you …
Passion (or a crap ton of money) is what you need to make a successful go at winemaking in Turkey and someone who has that in spades is Akın Gürbüz. His is one of the best wineries to visit, largely because his enthusiasm and passion are just so contagious! This month, treat yourself to one of his best wines, the Akın Gürbüz Hieron Oros. The blend here changes vintage by vintage, but whatever it contains, it is a powerful testament to the winemaker’s own passions.
Find it at places like Rind, Iyi Sarap, Mensis Mahzen, possibly Casa Botti, Comedus, and Dekante.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Leo, this month prompts you to reflect on friendships and how you connect with others. This theme opens several areas you might want to explore (or should explore, want might be overstating). How do you communicate with your friends? Are you open? Do you shut them out? Do you make sure to be in touch regularly or let long periods lapse?
While it might be natural to keep colleagues or mere acquaintances at a little distance, the people you consider your friends and/or inner circle shouldn’t feel frozen out if you treat them the same way you do others.
The wine for you …
This month, try an elegant wine, like Likya Boğazkere. When people talk about ‘poetry in a bottle’, this is one of those wines. It will inspire your own eloquence and encourage you to more open and sharing communications with people.
Get this from Mensis Mahzen, Dekante, La Cave maybe, Santé Wine & More, Casa Botti, I think, Mahzen 26, etc. AND if you really want an extra treat, these shops all seem to have different vintages. Look for it at a couple places and compare vintages!
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
This month calls you to reflect upon your beliefs and how they affect you and the world around you. Are you stubbornly clinging to ideas, methodologies, or even prejudices that are holding you back from people, other aspects of your life, or even harming society?
It’s never comfortable or fun to inspect long-held beliefs and ideals, to determine their veracity or if they’re contributing good or bad things to the world. However, doing this from time to time, honestly doing it, will not only create personal transformation in yourself, but can also contribute to making the world a better place. One person at a time.
The wine for you …
If you need inspiration from a company putting good things out into the world, this October, open a bottle of Akberg Büyükbağ Boğazkere. Akberg works with independent farmers across Turkey in order to make wine from some of the country’s native grapes, contributing to the sustainability of small farmers and putting good wine out into the world!
Check Solera and Grand Cru for this one.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
New things await you this month, Libra, as October inspires in you a quest for new experiences. Take a new class, read a book on a new topic (or read a book at all), try meditation, travel somewhere new, explore a new cuisine… The sky is the limit with what kind of new experience you can have! Being open to new experiences can lead to so many positive things in your life so be on the lookout for opportunities. 
The wine for you …
For many, sweet wine is something to be avoided OR maybe only opened for special occasions. Let your new wine experience this month be trying a bottle of Corvus Passito. The wine is not cheap. But it’s worth it. And remember that sweet wines keep for several week after being opened (as long as they’re in the fridge!) so, yes the price tag is a splurge but you can enjoy it over a longer period.
Look for this at La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, possibly Rind, Dekante…
Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)
Inner growth and introspection define your month as you embark on a deep dive into personal transformation. Take the time to reflect on concerns you may be hiding from yourself and/or past patterns that influence your present. Try unpacking some of the things that are blocking you or tripping you up. What are these issues? Can they be solved, or are they things that you need to let go of and move on from? If the former, sit down and make a game plan for solving the problem. Don’t be afraid to ask others for their input. 
The wine for you …
Do you think wineries ever go through moments of introspection? To a degree they do (at least the owners if not the non-sentient winery itself). One of the ways we see Turkish wineries addressing personal transformation is through a transition from international grapes to native varieties. The most recent example being the Kayra Karkuş. Not only is Karkuş (aka Kerküş) native, until now it’s been limited to the two commercial Assyrian wineries located in the southeast. Now Kayra’s picked it up, adding it to its roster of native grape wines.
Get this from places like Carrefour, Comedus, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Solera, likely La Cave, etc.
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)
October offers you a couple paths, Sagittarius. Begin the month with deeper self-reflection and trying to find some clarity about yourself. This time of getting to better know yourself will enhance your self-confidence and a boosting of your natural charm. The latter part of the moth slides from attention on your inner self, to your outer self, allowing you to focus on your appearance and self-expression. 
The wine for you …
Deep reflection and clarity are things you can definitely find in a glass of the eponymous Chateau Nuzun blend. 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. She knows when things are ready. Maybe having a sip of her wine will give you some insight too.
Look for this at Carrefour, Macro Center, Solera, Comedus, Rind…
Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)
Capricorn, October invites you to look at your creative projects and personal joys and decide how you can expand these to enhance your broader life plans. Can you take a hobby and turn it into a lucrative side hustle? Maybe your love of cooking could be turned into volunteering a local soup kitchen. Or your interest in graphic design could be used to enhance a friend’s business. To you, your projects could just be a hobby that you keep to yourself, but to someone else, they could be a huge boost
The wine for you …
The Dönmez family knows about taking a hobby to the next level and into a lucrative business. They went from making wine as a hobby, which they shared with family and friends, to a full winery and hotel. With an all inclusive package if you’re looking for a little get away! This month, try the Vino Dessera 190. They keep things interesting by changing up the blend a little every vintage so, you get a different experience each time!
Get it from places like Aperitivo, Carrefour, Macro Center, Savoy Tekel, Mensis Mahzen, maybe Comedus and Solera…
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”