The more we get into trying obscure grape varietals, the more we are brought back to Turkish wines. First, because the country is home to many indigenous species. But second, they're also quite delicious!
So when we found Pasaeli's 6N Karasakiz in a local store, we knew we had to give this one a go.
While brighter and more vibrant than other Turkish reds we've had, this one hit on some light and fresh red fruit notes that we can always enjoy!
When we had a layover in Istanbul, we knew we had to pick up some Turkish wines with new-to-us grapes to try when we got home.
This is how we stumbled upon Kavaklidere's Kalecik Karasi. We didn't know much about what to expect with this one, and it turns out it ended up being a light red, not too dissimilar from a Pinot Noir.
While not what we expected, it was an interesting one all the same.
When we had a layover in Istanbul, with no connecting flight after returning stateside, we knew we had to do a little duty-free shopping.
Thankfully, Turkey has a lot of unique and indigenous grapes that we could pick up in duty-free, and Kavaklidere's Bogazkere was one such bottle. As this was a new-to-us grape, it certainly did not last very long in our cellar. We opened it up to enjoy with a steak and added it to our ever-growing grape list.
Whenever we head to a wine shop, we always check out the “Other Countries” section to try and find new grapes and regions to try in addition to their more famous counterparts.
On one recent trip to a Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection store in Pittsburgh, we found a few bottles from Eskibaglar Winery in Turkey. One in particular, their Okuzgozu Reserve, had some pretty great reviews and a nice price point for an almost eight-year-old wine. A new grape from a new country? We were in.
While this one could've likely aged for another decade or longer, it lasted about a month in our house. It was so good we want to rush out and buy another bottle to leave in our cellar.