Wine has been a long-time passion to me, which became a career. Being Turkish, from a land with a long history of producing wines and spirits, I have concentrated my studies on exciting Turkish wines.
So, for those of you interested in exploring Turkish Wines, I wanted to talk about some of Turkey’s indigenous grape varieties.
Narince
The word translates as ‘delicately’ in English, which is quite self-explanatory once you taste wines made with Narince grapes. Narince makes wines with citrus, pear, apple and floral notes on the nose, with a round palate and a good acidity. Narince traditionally tends to be treated with oak like a Chardonnay, but there are wineries exploring Narince’s potential and produce it without oak.
Diren Collection Narince Arcadia Odrysia Narince
Misket
Known and loved as ‘Muscat’ all around the world. Misket makes wines with tropical fruits, flowers, and citrus with hints of Mediterranean herbs.
Beyazkere
Beyazkere grapes are the albinos of Bogazkere grapes from the East. Beyazkere is an almost extinct variety with limited bottles even in Turkey. This grape with its stone fruit flavours is very exciting.
Sultaniye
The word means that this grape is Sultan (~ Royalty) worthy! This delicious grape is very aromatic. Wines made with Sultaniye grapes have a tropical and floral nose followed by an exotic palate of pineapple, mango, lemon, and Mediterranean herbs on the palate.
Öküzgözü
The word means ‘Bull’s Eye’. This big, acidic grape is one of the nation’s favourites. Okuzgozu makes wines with red berries, cherries, pomegranate, and plum on the palate. It is often blended with other varieties to develop further structure.
Diren Collection Okuzgozu Buyulubag VM Okuzgozu/Bogazkere
Bogazkere
The word can be translated as ‘throat-scratcher’. This name comes from its high tannin content, very high that this grape won’t be any interest to birds during harvest! On the palate, Bogazkere has black forest fruits, earth, and tobacco. This grape tends to be blended with less-tannic grapes for a smoother experience, but there are wineries who chose not to blend this grape and present it on its own.
Kalecik Karası
Kalecik Karası “black grape of the small castle”! Kalecik Karasi makes elegant, fruity wines with fresh red fruits and a hint of earth. It is often blended with other varieties to strengthening the body of the wine.
Prodom Kalecik Karasi Diren Collection Kalecik Karasi
Pelin Doganca, Founder of Turkish Wine Consultancy
