One of the many seemingly incessant complaints I hear from other yabancılar is a disdain for Turkish wines. Navigating the wine scene in Turkey may require some savvy, inside info, and some basic Turkish, but I promise good wine is available here. I may not be a California wine connoisseur like Miles from the classic midlife crisis film Sideways, but I do recognize quality wine when I taste it and always manage to find some great Turkish red wines.
First of all, Turkish wines frequently taste different because of the variety of grapes. Many grapes that are used, such as Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Kuntra, and Boğazkere are, as far as I have seen, unique to Turkey. Kalecik Karası will be of particular interest to people who enjoy French Pinot Noir, as they are frequently compared to each other. These grapes can be blended together or even with more traditional Western grapes, such as Syrah (or Shiraz), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec to often sensuously delicious results. (Although I do not recommend Kuntra and Cabernet blends as I find the combination too heavy, that’s just my opinion).
Regions like Cappadocia and Bozcaada are similar to Bordeaux and Tuscany in terms of wine quality and it’s difficult to go wrong if the wine comes from there. Some wine shops, such as Rind in Kadıköy and La Cave in Cihangir, are known for selecting quality wines, both local and international, including French, Italian, New Zealand, Australian, South African, Chilean, Argentinian, Spanish, and Portuguese wines, sometimes at shockingly reasonable prices. Sometimes, I even find Vinho Verde (from Casal Mendes), the smooth, tart Portuguese green wine with green apple flavors (best served chilled) that I became hooked on last summer in Lisbon. Carrefour and Macrocenter also have impressive wine selections.
What follows are my own recommendations for wines in Turkey with my own interpretations of the taste. While I have attended several wine tastings in my life and have been told I have good taste on several occasions, please keep in mind these are only my own opinions. I have also focused on red wines, as I don’t normally drink whites or blushes, though some of these same companies do offer those options. I hope this information helps you to find the wines you can enjoy with friends and family. Cheers, şerefe, l’chaim, salud, ganbe, slainte, kanpai, skold, chin-chin, etc.
Ma’adra. Recently several Turkish wine companies have been experimenting with Pinot Noirs, but Ma’adra makes the only decent one I’ve been able to find. Other options include chardonays, cabernets, and syrahs.
Tigris. If you’re looking for a good cheap wine, Tigris (made by the Kavaklıdere company) is one of your best options. Tigris blends Öküzgözü, Boğazkere and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine also has very little tannin taste, giving a taste slightly sweeter than other wines.
Turasan. This Cappadocian wine company offers several single grape and blended options at very reasonable prices. My favorite is a blend of Syrah, Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Kalecik Karası.
Syriac Wine. These wines cultivated by a Syrian Christian community in Mardin can be difficult to find and a bit pricey, but have a very robust flavor. You’re likely to find it at small corner tekel shops and sometimes at Carrefour. You’ll recognize it from the Arabic writing on the bottle.
Corvus. Based in Bozcaada, Corvus makes wine from both Turkish and European grapes, including Syrah and Cabernet, as well as blends that combine the two.
Umurbey. Umurbey makes a wonderful Cabernet and one of the few Merlots I’ve actually enjoyed. A stellar choice if you’re craving more common Western grapes rather than indigenous Turkish grapes.
Kutman. Kutman specializes in fruit-based wines, including a lovely pomegranate wine reminiscent of the one I tried at a lovely Uyghur restaurant in Beijing (best served chilled). So many fruit wines in Istanbul are a vile Manischewitz-level sweet, but Kutman actually manages to get it right.
Kuzeybağ. This brand specializes in pure öküzgözü and has a lovely sensous flavor.
Villa Doluca. This wine specializes in blends of grapes such as merlot, shiraz, and öküzgözü and is an excellent deal for the price. It is also widely available at any Migros or tekel shop.
Comment below and let us know your favorite Turkish wines!
Edrine, cabarnet savignon
Chamlija Papaskarasi is my favourite red wine.
I tasted Tigris last week, best value for money red wine I’ve had so far, thank you for the recommendation