Blog

Your September 2025 Turkish Wine Horoscope

 

---

If August’s beautiful weather was anything to go by, we’re headed for a cooling down as autumn approaches in September. I even opened a red wine the other night! While September technically still (mostly) belongs to the season of summer, there is something of the promise of the changing season about it that is delightful. 

Changing seasons, and hopefully the accompanying cooler weather, also add a sense of energy to the world. Energy brings both good and bad vibes though. Fingers crossed we’re all in for good vibes – and good wines! – this month. Read on to find out what is in store for you.

As always, “the universe” could use some help with where its recommended wines are sold! Let me know if you see these (in Istanbul or otherwise!) in places I’ve missed.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

September’s rolling in—and you’re treating it less like a fresh chapter and more like a competitive sport. Forget “back to school,” you’re in “back to boss mode.” Everyone else is color-coding planners; you’re rewriting the rules entirely.

This month, your energy comes in waves—like: tackle everything Monday morning, nap through Wednesday, then rise again Friday ready to conquer civilizations (or at least your inbox). Consistency? Not really your brand. But momentum? You’ve got that in spades.

Power Move: Starting before you’re ready (then making it look intentional).
Your Vibe: Fiery chaos with a side of “don’t tell me what to do.”

The wine for you …

Rewriting the rules is what Assyrians know how to do! Assyrians both wrote (and rewrote) a lot of history in Anatolia and beyond – including some of the world’s first wine laws! The three families behind Shiluh, the first modern and commercial Assyrian winery in Turkey, have done a little rewriting themselves. By putting Assyrian wine and wine culture in the market, they’ve helped change how we think of wine and grapes from the south east. 

Along that line, this month, try the Shiluh Turabdin, a classic Boğazkere – Öküzgözü blend. 

Shiluh’s wines are likely available in more locations than I am aware. For sure look for this at Mensis Mahzen, Gözde Tekel, and Solera.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Hey Taurus, September wants you to slow down—but you’ll probably just slow down while eating cheese, which honestly counts. Practicality is your comfort zone, but this month throws a few curveballs that even you can’t spreadsheet your way out of.

Mid-month, your stubborn streak could clash with someone else’s big plans. The trick? Pretend it was your idea all along. By the end of September, you’ll be the only one who looks sane while everyone else burns out.

Power Move: Saying “no” like it’s a love language.
Your Vibe: Cozy chaos controller.

The wine for you …

You know what’s going to go well with that cheese? The Prius Winery Marteniçka Martenitsa rosé! The story behind this wine from the relatively new Thracian winery might be more of a spring inspiration, but shake things up and remind people that rosé isn’t just for the warm weather! Plus, you might need a cold wine to put out the flames burning up those around you!

Get this from places like La Commune, Mensis Mahzen, possibly La Cave, elsewhere, let me know. 

Gemini (May 20 – June 20)

Gemini, September hits and suddenly you’re booked, busy, and triple-texting in three different group chats at once. Multitasking? Thriving. Focus? Nowhere to be found.

Early in the month, your charm could get you out of trouble—or directly into it. Either way, it’s entertaining. Mid-September, Mercury (your ruler, hello) goes retrograde, so expect tech glitches and emails disappearing into the void. Just shrug and say “the vibes ate my homework.”

Power Move: Talking your way into opportunities before you know what they are.
Your Vibe: Chaotic genius with meme-level wit.

The wine for you …

To match your chaotic charm this month, drink a wine from a winery that’s also a little all over the place. Try the Mor Salkım Volante Bornova Misketi. This Bodrum-based winery has had some ups and downs. It’s wines come from a range of grapes, native and international, and various styles. Some are good, others…But their energy certainly matches yours this month. 

Mensis Mahzen has carried Mor Salkım wines in the past. You could also try Casa Botti, Dekante and Grand Cru both have huge selections and may carry it. 

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Sweet Cancer, September’s here, and suddenly your “let’s stay in” energy is clashing with the universe’s “let’s shake it up” vibe. You’ll want to curl up under a blanket while everyone else is doing cartwheels through retrograde season.

Early on, emotions run high (shocking, I know). But instead of spiraling, you’ll actually find clarity in the chaos. By the end of the month, you’ll surprise yourself with how bold you’ve become—like “Did I just volunteer to lead this project?” Yes. Yes, you did.

Power Move: Emotional honesty as a mic-drop.
Your Vibe: Cozy comfort meets low-key boss energy.

The wine for you …

Whether you let your desire to be a hermit or the universe’s verve win…there’s one particular wine that will match either energy: Ma’Adra Öküzgözü. This light red wine from the northern Aegean is made with carbonic maceration, which gives Öküzgözü a freshness, spiciness, and elegance it often lacks. Sip it silently at home, or go out and share it with friends! Either way, it’s a fantastic wine. 

This is a hard to find gem but Mensis Mahzen usually has it stocked. 

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Leo, September is your encore—your birthday season may be fading, but you’re still main-charactering like the credits can’t roll without you. And honestly? Correct.

This month, you’re magnetic and dramatic (shocking, I know). Just make sure your “center stage” energy doesn’t steamroll the quieter voices around you. Mid-month, an unexpected shift puts you in problem-solver mode—don’t worry, you’ll still find a way to make it glamorous.

Power Move: Entering every room like it’s your runway.
Your Vibe: Glittering authority with bonus hair flips.

The wine for you …

You need a wine as “center stage” and magnetic as you are. Pull the cork on one of the best new wines out this year: Arda Kuşlu Narince. Made with estate-grown grapes, this is a “simple” Narince that proves this grape is anything but simple. With a personality as big as yours, you’ll want to grab up a couple of these. 

This is something of a limited edition wine so it might not be the easiest to find. Try Mensis Mahzen and Rind, they both usually have a good selection of Arda’s wines. 

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Happy birthday season, Virgo! September is basically your Olympics: color-coded planners, seasonal resets, and smugly watching other people discover “organization.”

This month, you’re running on efficiency and coffee. Midway through, Mercury retrograde might mess with your perfect systems, which is rude but survivable. Don’t panic—just remind yourself that not everyone can thrive in spreadsheets like you do.

Power Move: Quiet competence that scares people.
Your Vibe: Perfectionist chic with accidental sass.

The wine for you …

In order to run a high-end winery and Turkey’s largest race horse breeding stable, you need to be super organized. Given that that is your vibe this month, you would get on very well with the folks behind Urla’s Mozaik winery. Put trying a bottle of the Mozaik Mahzren Petit Verdot Rebo in your planner and it won’t matter what Mercury retrograde throws at you. 

Mozaik wines aren’t wide spread but Mensis Mahzen and Rind usually carry them. You might also luck out a La Cave or on Iyi Sarap. 

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Libra, September’s your runway—and you’re balancing charm, indecision, and 12 half-finished mood boards. The season wants you to commit to something, but commitment is so… permanent.

This month, your diplomacy skills are top-tier. Just don’t lose yourself in keeping everyone else happy. Mid-month, romance or friendships might get spicy in a “do we vibe or do we argue?” kind of way. Honestly, both could be fun.

Power Move: Flirting your way into solutions.
Your Vibe: Social butterfly with steel wings.

The wine for you …

Friendship, romance, diplomacy…it doesn’t matter what you’ve got going on or whom you need to keep happy. One surefire way to keep tempers sweet is with a bottle of LA Wines Passito. Made with Bornova Misketi, this wine is a great example of what this grape can do when made in a sweet style. While LA Wine’s Passito is sold too young, it has really great ageing potential. If I recall, it’s not overly expensive, so go ahead and buy a bottle for this month and another to save!

Find it at places like Carrefour, La Cave, Mensis Mahzen, Metro, maybe Macro Center? It’s not overly difficult to source.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)

Scorpio, September feels like your secret training montage. Everyone else thinks you’re chilling, but behind the scenes you’re plotting three big moves and one dramatic reveal.

The month starts intense—shocking, I know—but you thrive in intensity. Mid-September could stir up old feelings or old flames, but you’re too busy glowing up to spiral. By month’s end, you’ll be ready to drop your “oh, this little success?” moment like it’s casual.

Power Move: Silence that makes people nervous.
Your Vibe: Brooding mastermind with hot mysterious energy.

The wine for you …

Plotting? Masterminding things? Energy that needs its own shades and fedora? You have got something going on! Ergo, you can’t drink just any old wine! You need something that vibrates with the same intensity you’re giving off this month. Now come with on this…Urla Serendias. I know what you’re thinking. You don’t believe that a rosé could possibly have you-level intensity. The combination of grapes and winemaking here results in a rosé with texture and structure. It’s got edge and attitude. Just like you. 

It shouldn’t be too hard to find this one. Look at Carrefour, probably Macro Center, Mensis Mahzen, Casa Botti, probably Dekante and Grand Cru…It’s around. 

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)

Sagittarius, September is less “back to school” and more “back to planning your next great escape.” While others are setting goals, you’re daydreaming about booking one-way tickets.

This month, your curiosity leads you everywhere—sometimes to wisdom, sometimes to trouble. Both count as experience points. Mid-month, be mindful of your bluntness; not everyone appreciates honesty with zero filter. By the end of September, expect a new adventure to fall in your lap.

Power Move: Saying yes before you know the details.
Your Vibe: Restless explorer with a side of chaos.

 The wine for you …

You’re clearly not ready for the seriousness and schedules that come with the waning of summer. To hang onto that dreamy summer feeling, open a wine by someone who knows how to turn daydreams into reality: Arcadia Papaskarsi Blanc de Noir. Before Zeynep and her father opened the winery, they used to spend nights talking together about their dream wine(s) and what they would create if they could. 

Look for it at Mensis Mahzen, Casa Botti, Santé Wine & More, Dekante, sometimes La Cave and Iyi Sarap etc.

Capricorn (December 23 – January 19)

Capricorn, September is your productivity fantasy camp—and yes, you’ll probably sign up for the deluxe package. While everyone else is trying to “ease back in,” you’re climbing mountains before breakfast.

Early September gives you momentum, but don’t forget rest exists. By mid-month, you may need to loosen your grip or risk snapping at someone who asks you to “relax.” Spoiler: you will not relax. By the end of September, though, you’ll have proof your grind paid off.

Power Move: Hustling like it’s a love language.
Your Vibe: Stoic excellence with hidden sass.

The wine for you …

Ambition and hustling skills can get you far – and it looks like you’re going places this month. For a little extra boost of inspirational ambition, try the AkBerg Lethe Erciş Karası. Akberg made a huge leap from aromatized wine to quality wine a couple years ago and it has not stopped moving. They scour the country looking for vineyards and grapes to help revitalize lost native Turkish grapes. Now that’s a love language.  

Get it from places like Solera and Grand Cru. You might also find it at, Casa Botti, and elsewhere.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Aquarius, September has you in full “mad scientist” mode—dreaming up big ideas while everyone else is still figuring out the Wi-Fi password. You’re future-minded, but the present will demand your attention more than you’d like.

Mid-month, expect a reality check that might actually help ground your genius. Don’t resist it—structure makes your brilliance shine brighter. By month’s end, you’ll be back to sparking revolutions in group chats and planning your next big thing.

Power Move: Dropping ideas no one’s ready for—yet.
Your Vibe: Visionary chaos with a sprinkle of stubborn.

 The wine for you …

You have big plans! Match your energy this month with a visionary winery that has plans as big as yours are. Uncork a bottle of Likya Arkeo Merzifon Karası. Since the winery first rescued the local grape, Acıkara, its pursued other disappearing grapes in Turkey including Fersun and Merzifon Karası. Merzifon Karası, while native to Turkey, is not native to Elmalı where the winery is but to Merzifon in the north. The grape has found a new home in Likya’s vineyards high up in the Taurus mountains and the wines are fantastically fruity and crunchy and so food-friendly!

Look for the at Mensis Mahzen, Santé Wine & More, Dekante, Rind, and Mahzen 26.

 Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Pisces, September’s energy feels like a half-dream, half-reality mix—and you’re vibing. While everyone else is busy panicking about deadlines, you’re swimming in creativity and intuition (and possibly denial).

Mid-month, emotions could spill over, but that just fuels your artistry (and your dramatic monologues). By the end of September, you’ll land somewhere between inspired and exhausted, but at least you’ll have pretty ideas to show for it.

Power Move: Turning feelings into masterpieces.
Your Vibe: Dreamy poet with main-character tears.

The wine for you …

Half-dream, half-reality? One the one hand, that sounds pretty romantic. On the other…it’s actually not easy to straddle those two places. This September, look to a wine that straddles its own reality: Çamlıbağ Ayapetro Erken Hasat Vasilaki. Vasilaki can be a trick grape, from what I understand. Leave it on the vine just a hair too long and it loses all its acidity. Çamlıbağ solves this by picking the grapes early and creating a fresh and citrussy wine for these last warm days. 

Get it from Mensis Mahzen and Rind. You might also find it at Metro, maybe a tekel here and there.