Vinkara: Producing Superior Wine with Ancient Indigenous Turkish Grapes

"These are grapes that Noah's goats grazed on" -- paraphrasing Ardıç Gürsel, founder Vinkara Winery

Ms. Gürsel discussed the plausibility of this statement while discussing her Turkish winery, Vinkara, at a luncheon last month at MXDC in Washington DC. Biblical Noah is referred to as the Father of Wine and religious  tradition maintains that wine-making was a divine gift in exchange for the struggles Noah encountered with the flood. With the winery located in central Anatolia and specializing in that region's indigenous grapes, it is quite feasible that Noah's goats fed upon the same grapes (or their parents) that the winery uses today. Gürsel also mentioned that there are conclusive traces of viticulture and winemaking in Anatolia going back seven thousand years, thus the region's indigenous 1,200 grape varieties have been used to create wine before and after the great flood.

However, the purpose of Gürsel's visit to this country was not as an evangelist for Anatolia or Turkey specifically, or even the indigenous grape varieties, but as an ambassador showcasing the excellent wine being produced from her facility. The name Vinkara results from wine and its proximity to Turkey's capital - Vin (wine) Kara (Ankara).  The winery started operating in 2003 and is located approximately 65 kilometers northeast of the capital in the hills outside of Kalecik, a small village that provides the winery with seasonal workers during harvest. The location is ideal at two thousand feet above sea level, northern winds to dry the grapes and drive away bugs and birds, and the twenty degree diurnal temperature change allows the grapes to retain acidity.  One of these grapes is often the red Kalecik Karasi (pronounced kah-le-djic-ah-ser) - once on the verge of extinction due to neglect, but now Vinkara's signature local grape.

During the lunch with Ms. Gürsel we sampled through a range of her wine which in general I found to be clean, intriguing, well made, and delicious. 

2014 Yasasin ($40) was the first method champenoise wine produced in Turkey (the others used the Charmat method). It is made using Kalecik Karasi and is fresh with toasted almond bouncing through the dry and refreshing wine.

2014 Narince ($18, nah-rin-jay), the name translates to "delicately", originates from the Tokat Province near the Black Sea, and is the offspring of Kalecik Karasi. Ms. Gürsel believes the grape may be the grandfather of  Pinot Noir. The intriguing aspect of this wine is easily it's texture (3 months on lees) which allows the stone fruit to seamlessly transition to fresh acids.

2013 Narince Reserve ($27) . This wine sees 14 months in mostly neutral French Oak plus the winery holds the wine an additional six months after bottling. This process adds even more texture as will as a spicy character - but avoids the overly buttery character of many Chardonnays. And the finish is just as fresh as it's sibling.

2013 Kalecik Karasi ($18). This red wine is unoaked which leads to an extremely smooth wine, with a bright cherry flavor and a slightly spicy finish. This is the equivalent to an All Day IPA - I could enjoy this wine at any time during the day.

2012 Kalecik Karasi Reserve ($27) . This wine spends 14 months in oak and is a caramelized version of it's companion with much more depth. It's an excellent wine - actually a special wine with a very unique profile. 

2013 Okuzgozu ($23, ookooz-goo-zoo). The grape is native to Eastern Anatolia and it's black berries resemble a bulls eye - hence the name's translation.  This wine had the most character - as in being a character.  It is approachable and smooth yet the very unique tannins and acids seem to play tricks on the palate.

2011 Bogazkere Reserve ($30, bow-aahz-keh-reh). The grape's name translates to "throat burner" but don't equate that sensation to the wine. It is fantastic: dirt and pepper aroma followed by fresh fruit but solid tannins. Structured from start to finish. The wine was aged 30 months oak with the winery taking an additional two year hit holding back in the bottle. My favorite of this collection and one to target immediately. Cheers.

Rías Baixas Albariño: "The Number One Alternative to Chardonnay"

"Albariño is the number one alternative to Chardonnay and, in fact, it may be my favorite white wine", Mark Oldman

Mr. Oldman shared this sentiment at the Succotash Restaurant in Washington DC as Wines of Rías Baixas attempts to raise the profile of Albariño from the Galicia region of northwestern Spain. Last month they sponsored The Tastemakers Table, where "top sommeliers and wine experts teamed up to challenge palates showcasing the versatility of this Spanish white wine".  After attending the Succotash event I also received samples of the 2015 Lagar de Bouza ($18) and the 2015 Marques de Vizhoja Torre la Moreira ($17).  Whereas the exact nature of  Rías Baixas Albariño depends on which micro-climate the grape was grown, both of these wines share the common characteristics that make all Albariño an excellent and versatile wine: minerality and bright acids. Absolutely try these two wines.

The next Rias Baixas sponsored event occurs this Thursday May 4th during the Snooth-Rías Baixas Virtual Tasting at 8:30 PM ET. Snooth’s co-founder Mark Angelillo will be joined by Advanced Sommelier Jill Zimorski to discuss ten of the region’s premier Albariño wines.  I suspect they will also be discussing the five distinct sub-regions as well as the unique trellis system and marine influences. So grab a bottle of Albariño and join the discussion. Cheers.

Lodi Rules, Sunflowers, Herbs, and the M2 Wines 2014 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Soucie Vineyard

In 2005 the Lodi Winegrape Commission implemented California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing certification program with The Lodi Rules™ for Sustainable Winegrowing Program. The program is accredited by Protected Harvest and certifies sustainable management of the ecosystem, soils, water, business practices, human resources, and pest control. There are 101 measurable standards that emphasize sustainable measures such as reduced pesticide risk to farm workers, consumers, and wildlife.  Lodi is home to over 80 wineries and over 36,000 of the approximately 100,000 acres of premium wine grapes are certified green.

April is Down to Earth Month in California and to celebrate the month and Lodi Rules™ LoCA created a wine kit containing a wine made from Lodi Rules™ grapes packaged in a reusable wine box. The package I received contained the 2014 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Soucie Vineyard - Lodi, Mokelumne River, Block 1916 ($30, 15.7 abv) from m2 wines. The wine is excellent: big, chewy, and assertive; cherry cola and spices; with a hot chocolate finish. The zinfandel vines were planted in 1916 by Edward Soucie and is now managed by his grandson and fifth-generation Lodi native Kevin Soucie. As a bonus the kit included not only herb seeds for the wine box that can be re-purposed into a kitchen garden, but a compost bottle tag embedded with sunflower seeds. Let the garden growing begin. Cheers to Lodi Wine and Lodi Rules.

A Trio of Portuguese Reserve Ports from Symington Family Estates

Portuguese Port is rather redundant since thanks to the European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines most wine labeled as "Port" or "Porto" must be a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro region in the northern provinces of Portugal. This may not always be the case outside of Europe, but most countries are accepting the Portuguese Protected designation of origin.

 Port wine is a classic style -- produced from grown and processed in the Douro demarcation and fortified with neutral grape spirit. There are over a hundred sanctioned grape varieties eligible for Port, but in general, expect the use of these five: Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional. There are also several categories of Port: White, Tawny, Ruby, Reserve, and Vintage.  (See The Wine Coach for specifics.)  Ruby Ports are aged in large vats for two to three years before bottling whereas Vintage Ports are from a single harvest designated as an exceptional year and aged additional years in the bottle.  The Reserve Port category was created by Cockburn's (founded in 1815) to bridge these two styles where the wine is aged longer in large barrique casks. The goal was to create a wine similar in quality to the Vintage Port but drinkable early like the Ruby Port.

Symington Family Estates is a major player in Port as well as Douro Valley wine production, owning several brands such as Cockburn's. I recently received samples from three of their brands described below.

Cockburn's Special Reserve Port ($18). This is apparently the world's most popular Reserve Port and is considered "The Original Reserve Port". The wine is produced from grapes harvested from their Quinta dos Canais vineyards in the Upper Douro and aged four to five years in oak casks. And this port is a great baseline for beginners. It is full bodied, with lush fruit and nut flavors, savory spices, a big mouthfeel, and a very healthy finish.

Warre's Warrior Port ($19). Warrior is the oldest continuously bottled Port brand (1750's) as Warrior has been branded on the casks of Warre’s finest Reserve Ports since the earliest days of the firm. The grapes are drawn from Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Retiro, Warre’s best quintas in the Pinhão and Rio Torto valleys that also produce Warre’s classic Vintage Ports. The wine is fruity and chewy, lot's of texture, with another long lingering finish. Apparently the higher altitudes and cooler climate lead to this ripe fruit character. For full bodied, yet fresh, easy drinking Port wine, start here.

Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port ($24). "The distinctive depiction of the six bunches of grapes on the bottle originates from the marks long-used in the Graham's Lodge to classify the quality of the wines in the casks. The six-grapes symbol is Graham's age-old mark of quality, used to identify the very finest wines from the best vineyards, which were destined to make up the Vintage Port or Six Grapes lots". The grapes are sourced from five vineyards that are responsible for the brand's Vintage Ports, including Quinta dos Malvedos. The wine was the freshest of the trio, vibrant acids mingling with the dark blackberry fruit. The finish is long and clean. Well done.