Your September 2024 Turkish Wine Horoscope
While actual autumn does not begin until later this month, the beginning of September heralds to many the end of summer. Summer vacation is over, people are getting back to work, school, to “normal” life. Even if you didn’t have the whole summer off, there’s always an intangible sense of freedom and ease during June, July, and August and a lot of people feel a little let down at the end of the summer season.
Don’t dwell on the let down this month! Concentrate instead on the good things. In Istanbul, for example, the end of summer means the return of charity ice cream producer Soulful Scoops! It means (hopefully) cooler weather and less humidity. A cessation of tourist hoards. And best of all, it means grape harvest and the coming of a new vintage!
Let’s get on to what we’re drinking in September!
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Invisible fears and ‘what ifs’ reside in all of us. Most of the time, these fears are entirely hypothetical but they lurk deep in our subconscious sewing poisonous seeds. Don’t let them bubble up and take over. When you start to get that sick to your stomach fear feeling, but one not attached to a specific thought, don’t pass it off as a mild illness or something you ate. Dig deep to uproot that fear then examine it. Is this something likely to happen? How bad would it actually be if it did happen? What plans can you make to prevent it? Is it an enjoyable process? Not in the least. But how great could you feel and what couldn’t you accomplish if you silent all those invisible fears?
The wine for you …
Winery life may look all idyllic and fancy from the outside, but it comes with plenty of fears and doubts. Add to that, there are real people behind wineries who have their own fears and problems to overcome that have nothing to do with a bad harvest, government paperwork, or low sales. But they press on. Take inspiration this month from Hus Şarapçılık and its beautifully crafted Hus Supernova.
Sadly, Hus wines aren’t super widely available but you can look for this at places like Mensis Mahzen, Solera, Santé Wine & More, Casa Botti, possibly Dekante.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
It is a difficult and often heartbreaking lesson to learn…but you cannot fix other people. No matter how much you love them, how hard you try, what you try. They have to fix themselves. The best best thing you can do is to work on yourself. Inspire others to follow your example both by becoming the best version of yourself and by treating others well. The Golden Rule gets trotted out in all sorts of trite situations, but it’s gold for a reason. Treat others as you would like to be treated. 
And after all that, if they’re still jerks, do yourself a huge favor and cut them out of your life. A little heartbreak now is better than devastation later.
The wine for you …
Treating others how you would like to be treated ought to be a concept we extend towards the environment. Do YOU want people to dump toxic substances on you or cover you with rubbish? I hardly think so. And while I have my own issues with organic viticulture (because organic doesn’t mean no chemicals, it just means approved chemicals), it’s better than the alternative of not. So, this September, your wine comes from the organically(mış) farmed winery, Selendi and the Selendi Moralı Narince.
Not sure how everywhere it is yet but look for it at Mensis Mahzen and Online Mahzen, possibly Casa Botti, Dekante, or Macro Center.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Are you feeling lost, scattered, or confused? Learning from the people around you will help you get back on track in September. Find someone whose purpose or drive you admire and watch how they organize their life and their work schedule. Take inspiration from their actions and try to emulate what they do. And don’t beat yourself up if things don’t immediately work out for you. Remember, whomever you admire was not an overnight success and had plenty of their own failures and setbacks along the way. 
The wine for you …
Chateau Gali literally built its vineyards and winery in an attempt to emulate the wines of Bordeaux’s Right Bank so loved by the founder. It’s worked out pretty well for them, so maybe you should give it a shot yourself. This month, try the Gali Viognier, a wine that stands out for its tension and mineral streak that gives the wine a spark like no other Turkish Viognier.
Look for it at Santé Wine & More, possibly Casa Botti, Rind, Solera…
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
When you feel most empowered and in love with life, what are you doing? With whom are you surrounding yourself? Let your feelings act as your compass, not just this September, but going forth. It’s easy to become complacent and just go with the flow, even if that flow takes you away from these feelings of empowerment or being in love with life. But it’s important that you move, as much as possible, only toward experiences and people who lift you up.
The wine for you …
Cooperation is a great example of lifting up other people and it’s always so nice to see people in the wine world working together. It leads to projects like the Arda Solera Bornova Misketi. This semi-sweet wine (which goes great with spicy foods!) is made by Arda winery but with grapes from the vineyards of Süleyman Er, the owner of the Solera wine bar.
Since the grapes are from his vineyards, you’ll definitely find this at Solera. But I’ve certainly seen it elsewhere like Rind, maybe Mensis, Casa Botti…
Gemini (May 20 – June 20)
This September, try a little autumnal cleaning at home. Not the mop and buckets, scrubbing the tile with a toothbrush kind of cleaning, more of a decluttering. Like Capricorn, this isn’t a full Munkensmat situation. It’s about ensuring that the time you spend at home is quality time as it is crucial to your health and happiness. There’s something about having a clean and uncluttered space that provides a mental and physical sense of ease. You don’t need to add new things to create a calm and welcoming space. Take away or make better use of what you already have. 
The wine for you …
Tomurcukbağ doesn’t exactly employ Munkesmat in that owner and winemaker Prof. Dr. Sabit Ağaoğlu doesn’t need to get rid of extraneous things because he doesn’t start out with them. The godfather of Kalecik Karası, well-known for his natural red wines, moved into white a few years ago with his Trajan Narince. As with his red wines, he doesn’t clutter up his Narince with anything he thinks it doesn’t need.
Available at La Cave and Dekante
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
As Danny Zuko said, “Summer days [are] drifting away…” but you might still be feeling a little of that summer lassitude as we transition into September. Don’t be frustrated with yourself or forcefully throw yourself into anything this month to make up for the slowness. Look at it as a blessing in disguise and a chance to approach life more mindfully. “Winning” at life by getting ahead the fastest is not what is important. Instead, fulfill each task to the best of your ability but with control and not haste, and savor every moment of the journey.
Have you heard of the Slow Food movement? It started with restaurants committed, not to turning over tables, but creating thoughtful food and dining experiences with locally-sourced ingredients. It’s about taking your time to enjoy a good, quality, and sustainable life. Slow Food has expanded to include other businesses and what it calls “Friends of Slow Food”. 7Bilgeler winery, hotel, and restaurant is proud to be a Friend of Slow Food. This September, try a bottle of the 7Bilgeler Anaxagoras. Don’t be put off because it’s Chardonnay! So many are wary of Chardonnay because of the oak, but as long as you get the Anaxagoras and not the reserve, you’re on safe ground there.
Get it from places like La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Solera, Comedus, probably Casa Botti, Grand Cru, Dekante, Rind, Iyi Sarap…it’s not overly difficult to find.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Despite coming out of celebrating your month, you’ve been going through a difficult period. Likely hiding it from others and soldiering on with all the boldness attributed to Leos. Slow down, stop barrelling through each day as though nothing is wrong. Be gentle with yourself this month. Love yourself fiercely and pick yourself up when you are down. If you are overwhelmed by the intensity of your feelings, seek guidance from a professional or nonjudgmental friend.
The wine for you …
This month, drink a wine that makes no demands on you other than the desire to be enjoyed, Akberg Osmanca. Akberg not only added another new (sorely lacking imo) white wine to the shelves with its Osmanca, but added another grape to the industry at large. Its bright acidity, easy fruity and aromatic herbal flavors and just begging to be happily sipped.
Find it at Solera and Grand Cru. Let me know if you see it somewhere else!
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Take life seriously, but don’t forget what truly matters: your happiness and well-being. A big chunk of that well-being is your physical health. Make a commitment this month to start moving more. We don’t all love working out, many of us struggle to work up the enthusiasm for it. So, with that in mind, don’t immediately throw yourself into a marathon training routine. That way lies failure and self-flagellation. Start easy. Make a commitment to take a 20 minute walk every day, take up something gentle like yoga. Even doing something as simple as getting out of the metro one stop early will encourage better physical health. 
The wine for you …
Part of caring for your physical health is paying attention to the quality of what you put into it! That means no crap wine. This month, try a nice, but I think overlooked, wine from Bozcaada: Corvus Blend Bianco. The wine blends Chardonnay, Vasilaki and “other local grapes” (your guess is as good as mine), and is one of those wines that proves oak and Chardonnay can be your friend!
Happily for you, Corvus wines aren’t usually hard to find. Look for this at Carrefour, Dekante, Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, possibly La Cave, etc.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Slow down this month, Libra and take time to reflect on happenings from the summer. What hurdles did you face? Were you confronted with the need to push beyond your personal boundaries? How have the last few months affected your life? Both good and bad experiences can knock you off center. Prioritize your mental well-being this month by reconciling how the last few months have impacted your life (for the bad or the good). It’s good for all of us to stop and take stock like this every once in a while. 
The wine for you …
Something good you can look forward to on the other hand, is your wine this month, the Ma’Adra Öküzgözü Rosé. A bright, refreshing rosé to transition you from the stupid hot weather to the merely normal hot weather and to accompany the last of your summer barbeques.
Get it from places like Mensis Mahzen and you can also check Rind, maybe Casa Botti.
*label is now white!
Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)
September may have you questioning both your aspirations and how to cultivate meaning in your life. Use this as an opportunity to firmly set your goals and think of the bigger picture, even if it is something almost too scary to think about. Wandering aimlessly from activity to activity will not help you find that meaning.
While you’re doing some life mapping, make sure you’re still making time for everything in your life. Your musings recently about the meaning of life (which is not 42), may have had you ignoring relationships. Make sure to set a date with friends to hang out soon.
The wine for you …
An exemplary example of setting clear goals to reach a dream is Akın Gürbüz. He fell in love with wine, moved to America, improved his English in order to attend, then graduate from UC Davis’s wine program, worked in California then New Zealand to understand Sauvignon Blanc, then came back to Turkey to consult for some of the country’s top wineries before opening his own. I mean, dang. Most well-known for his international grape wines, Akın does not ignore the native grapes, so this month, hunt down a bottle of the Gürbüz Papazkarası.
Look for this at Mensis Mahzen, Iyi Sarap, Rind, Casa Botti seems likely, maybe Grand Cru or Dekante…
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)
Change is coming at you this month, Sagittarius and it is coming at you quickly. While you shouldn’t spend the month obsessing over what may or may not happen, do be on guarde for it. Change can be good or bad, but either way, make sure that you have your support network ready to catch you. 
The wine for you …
Responsible wineries can be a support system for their communities. Take Midin in … well … Midin. Part of the reason the Salibas family opened the winery was to help revitalize the village’s economy while preventing the destruction of 100+ year old vineyards and preserving the Assyrian village’s wine culture. This month therefore, try the Midin Baluto Karkuş. There are TWO so make sure you read the label carefully and decide which you might prefer: Baluto Karkuş, or Baluto meşeli Karkuş with oak.
Look for it at places like Mahzen 26, Mensis Mahzen, possibly Rind or Casa Botti or Gran Cru as well.
Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)
Less is more. For how many millena has that been popping up in one way or another but we still don’t listen? Gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The key to dieting is everything in moderation. In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul warns against getting drunk on wine, and when a Catholic is telling you to moderate your drinking, you know that’s for real!
This isn’t about going full Munkensmat on your life (and if you don’t know about Swedish Death Cleaning, I’m not sure we can be friends). It’s about moderating yourself just a little, by not doing more, and intentionally doing less to a higher standard. 
The wine for you …
One great thing about moderation and trying to not get drunk by putting away an entire bottle of wine in one go means that you can afford to spend a little more on a bottle Quality vs quantity! That’s why this month, you’re wine is the Heraki Çal Karası. The wife-husband team behind this garagiste winery crafts small batches of excellent wine. It might cost a little more than other wines, but it’s worth it.
Get it from places like Casa Botti, Grand Cru, Mensis Mahzen, Santé Wine & More, and elsewhere.
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”