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Good wine has been
produced in Turkey for millennia,
and still is.
Several of Anatolia's climatic
regions, some with volcanic soil
(such as Cappadocia),
are suitable for producing wine grapes.
The grapes are mostly local traditional
varieties such as Öküzgözü (Ox
Eye) and Bogazkere for reds,
although Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
are making their appearance, as are
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The peoples of the Byzantine
Empire enjoyed their wines and developed careful
cultivation methods for their grapes.
Under the Ottoman
Empire, the sultan's
Muslim subjects largely abstained,
but his Christian and Jewish subjects
continued to make and drink wine.
With the fall of the empire (1923)
and founding of the European-style
Turkish
Republic, many citizens of
Greek heritage moved to Greece, but
in the secular republic wine-making
was encouraged.
Both Tekel,
the government-owned monopoly company,
and a few favored
vintners such as Kavaklidere,
produced simple table wines. Imported
wines were rare, and very expensive
because of high import duties.
In the 1990s, after changes in the
laws governing alcoholic beverages,
small local vintners began to make
varietal
wines
of
good quality. The best wines are often
from the well-run vineyards of
wealthy industrial and commercial families.
Look for labels bearing the marks Corvus,
Kayra, Sarafin and Sevilen.
Simple table wines such as Kavak and Çankaya (white), Dikmen (red), Lâl (rosé/blush)
and Villa Doluca (white and
red) are drinkable and among the less
expensive, but because discerning (and
wealthy) Turkish wine-drinkers are
only a small market, the better vintages
are surprisingly
expensive.
In Cappadocia,
the Kocabag (KOH-jah-bah)
and Turasan (TOO-rah-ahn) labels are
two to try.
High taxes also
play their part in the high price of
wine. The tax just about doubles the
cost of a bottle of inexpensive table
wine. There is also a large illegal,
untaxed and uncontrolled wine industry that competes unfairly with the legitimate
vintners.
In Istanbul's
best restaurants, the cost of a lavish
meal is often less than the cost of
the wine that accompanies it.
Although the governing center-right
AKP party denies that it acts against
those who drink alcoholic beverages,
the cost of enjoying a glass of wine—or
indeed any alcoholic beverage—has
risen during their tenure in office.
If you enjoy wine with dinner, don't
be dismayed. You can have it, it will
be pretty good, and it won't ruin your
budget, but it won't be cheap, either.
During the holy month of Ramazan,
please observe the traditional customs.
More...
Turkish Beers
Turkish Raki
Turkish
Food & Drink
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