I just got back from an amazing trip to Turkey and had a great time exploring quite a few unique wines and grapes they have available. Does anyone know if it’s possible to purchase Turkish wines in the US? I brought back a few bottles with me but couldn’t fit much in the cases. I’m assuming it will be mostly available in Turkish restaurants but if anyone has any ideas as far as retailers please let me know!
I highly recommend people explore the region if possible as it’s not something I would have ever thought of to look into without visiting. The Cappadocian region was a spectacular place to visit and did some great tasting in the area. Some of the bottles I really enjoyed overall throughout the country…
2010 Turason Syrah
2008 Corvus Kalecik Karasi
2011 Cotes d’Avanos Narince Chardonnay
2009 Nodus Merlot Cabernet Franc
2011 Suvla Kirte
If you search on “Turkish” in Wine Talk, you’ll find various tasting notes, some on wines purchased in the U.S. Here’s one thread: Get your geek on: Paper from American Association of Wine Economists on Turkey - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Narince (white) seems to me to have a lot of potential as a grape. It yields wines with real depth of flavor and good acidity.
A lot of Turkish wine seems to be distributed mainly through restaurants in the U.S. and doesn’t hit the retail shelves. Which is understandable. It would be a hard sell, I’m sure. And in neighborhoods with a lot of Turks (Woodside, Queens and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn; Patterson, NJ), there isn’t demand for higher end wines – if there is demand for wine at all. I suspect that affluent, educated, non-devout Turks in the U.S. are drinking anything but Turkish.
Glad you had a positive experience! My wife is Turkish, and when we go back every summer we tend to bring a few bottles back. The only stuff we’ve seen in the US is mass production, low quality and improperly stored.
Agree with John that there are some promising varietals, but I understand that no US retailer would want to take a risk on offering them.
My biggest complaint with Turkish wine is that the wineries that seem to be paying the most attention to quality are also using international varietals that tend to be masked by a more modern style. Would love to know whether there are some exceptional terriors in Turkey.
My DIL is Turkish, so I have an interest in the wines. We’ve visited twice, indeed it is a great place! There are lots of wines (and many not so good ones). Here are my better-best examples (OK, a few not-so-great ones too!) Some of these you can get in the US (our local wine shop in Princeton has the Narince, for ex) but probably not so many. Try winesearcher to see what’s available. Generally the price is very low for the good ones:
Selection Kirmizi
Kavaklidere, Turkey
Öküzgözü
2005?
@ Peri Ela resto
12/3/11
Very nice! Smooth, interesting, good length.
** Doluca Karma 2011
Merlot & Boğazkere
Diyarbakır (Turkey) region
$22 in IST duty free shop.
Again, very interesting wine! Deep, dark, smooth and long.
-
Vin & Art 2012
Sauvignon Blanc & Sultaniye
Kavaklıdere
14%.
Robust but interesting. Worth trying again.
-
Vinkara Narince 2012
Kalecik, Ankara, Turkey
Turkish white, Narince is a local grape
14%.
Has a slight edge, but that goes away with food. Nice heavier white, slightly oily, interesting flavor, good balance and length. Great QPR.
(Note: they also produce a Narince Reserve, and a Kalecik Karası, both regular and reserve. The latter sounds interesting.)
-
Kalecik Karası 2011 (don’t know if this was regular or reserve)
Kalecik, Ankara, Turkey
Light and interesting red. Try a bottle!
Villa Doluca 2007
Turkey
This was probably the Doluca Red: Dry red wine, produced from the French “Cinsault” and a few other native varieties grown in the region of Marmara and the Aegean.
No RP. PK = 88. This was quite nice, esp. for the price.
- Prestige Narince 2012 (white)
Kavaklıdere
Nevşehir Vineyard, Turkey
Very strong flavor, needed maybe 30 min air, but then I liked it. Medium to heavy weight. Slight bitter note at end that diminishes with air. Very robust but agreeable flavor, complex and buttery.
Buzbağ (cold vineyard?)
Emir-Narince 2010 (white)
Kayra
11.5% 30TL/half bottle @ Degustasyon, Istanbul
Not bad!
Kocabağ (big vineyard)
Kapadokya (NV, apparently)
Öküzgözü (local grape)
13.5%. ca 30TL at Cafe Centre, Uçhisar, w Jacques and friend (his rec)
C: Dark red.
P: Notes of tobacco. Reminiscent of Cabernet S. A bit tannic, but quit drinkable.
Turasan
Öküzgözü Boğazkere Kalicikkarası 2008
12%
C: Dark red.
N: Leather
P: A bit acid, but goes very well with food. Something like a Cab Sauvignon, but not so profound. Nice length and balance. Some real potential there, but not clear if it needs more time (probably not) or better winemaking.
Turasan Peribacac 2004
Fairy Chimney
Cappadocian Wine
11.5% 20TL/half bottle at Local Restaurant, Göreme
B likes
C: Light red.
N: ?
P: PN - like. Light but balanced, not bad at all.
Leona Öküzgözü 2008
Ankara winery
12.5%. 10TL/glass @ Ankara resto “Kivirik usta”
C: Dark red.
N: Leather, red fruit.
P: Very smooth and balanced. Good length. Muscly. Note of liver.
Terra Öküzgözü Boğazkere 2007
Kayra
Highly recommended by woman at the same resto, but I didn’t find it.
Note that Kayra seems to include Terra, Leona, and Buzbağ.
Altınteppe 2007
Semillon Sultaniye Chardonnay
Sevilen, Izmir
13%
B finds too sweet
C: Straw.
N: Notes of lemon.
P: Smooth, but lacks the bite that would make it interesting. Too soft.
Sevilen Syrah 2008
Güney - Denizili
13.5% Muses House house red
B likes.
Nice, reasonable Syrah. Low pepper. Drinks well.
- Angora 2010
Şarap beyaz (white wine)
Kavaklidere
@ Karina Bayık Restaurant, also Muses House house white
Sultaniye
Şarap beyaz (white wine)
Kavaklidere
Brian’s wine @ Muses House.
Too soft!
- Rosato (rosé)
Karaklidere
12.5%
Brian’s wine @ Muses House.
Very nice summer wine. Reminiscent of Tempier rosé.
- Angora
Syrah Boğazkere 2010
Kavaklidere (I think)
Very nice blend. The two grapes compliment each other well.
- Leona
Syrah Öküzgözü 2009
kırmızı (red)
Very nice. Perhaps the best red I had in Türkiye. Very smooth, good balance, interesting.
Serafin Chardonnay 2009
Doluca
Çanakkale
22TL/gl @ Âsitâne (next to Kariye camii)
C: Pale
N: Pleasant, dry. Between CA and Burg in style.
Blend Blanco 2007
Çavuş, Vasiliki, Sauvignon Blanc
Corvus
Bozcaada
19TL/gl @ Âsitâne (next to Kariye camii)
C: Yellow-orange.
N: Medicinal note. A bit strong, but interesting. Went well with baked stuffed melon. Wouldn’t work with e.g. fish.
Wow, I’m impressed, Peter!
I believe Kavaklıdere was formerly state-owned. A number of their wines are blended from different regions with quite different climates and soils – e.g., the Aegean coast, the Ankara region in the northwest of Anatolia, and the area around Diyarbekir in the Kurdish southeast.
Thanks, John!
It’s often hard to know where the grapes were grown. Sometimes the bottle will indicate a region, sometimes a village. But often there is no info. In any case the potential is enormous, Turkey could produce far more than it does, and some of it would be very good IMO. However the present govt. Is somewhat Islamist and frowns on alcohol, unfortunately.