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.

Vinkara Offers Two Tasty Turkish Wines to the U.S. Market

Wines from Turkey are getting more play in the U.S. market and one of these producers is Vinkara. This winery focuses on indigenous grapes grown on their estate in Central Anatolia, a region some consider the birthplace of wine. According to Vinkara's website, wine residue has been dated to the Hittites who lived in the region 15,000 years ago. And auxiliary evidence is that there are 1,200 indigenous grape varieties from Central Anatolia. The Gürsel family began operations in 2003 with Marco Monchiero an Italian Oenologist, joining the team in 2008. The winery's Central Anatolia estate is specifically located in the Kizhrmak River Basin near the village of Kalecik. At 2,000 feet above seal level, there is plenty of nighttime cooling to retain acids, little rainfall and sandy and limestone soils. This property quite obviously focuses on Kalecik Karasi, a red wine grape which originated in the area.  A second indigenous grape they produce is the white wine grape Narince which originated from the Tokat region to the north. The Erbaa region within the Tokat province has a similar altitude as Kalecik with porous sandy and clay soils.  The winery sent me to of these wines to sample and in general were quite pleasing. The downside is that they are both on the high SRP side for a Turkish wine but worth a look for the adventurous.

Narince Reserve 2012 ($27, 13.5%) - aged for 14 months in on lees in small Burgundy barrels and then aged a further six months in bottle before release. The nose is very floral followed by a creamy grapefruit profile, some minerals, and decent acids.

Kalecik Karasi Reserve 2012 ($25, 13.5%)  - also aged for 14 months in on lees in small Burgundy barrels and then aged a further six months in bottle before release. The wine is very fruit forward, with an herbaceous cough drop like cherry flavor. But I use that descriptor in a positive way. The tail is easy and approachable.

More Turkish Wine from VinoRai During #WineStudio

VinoRai returned to #WineStudio in October joined by Chief Wino Andrew Stover who has introduced the DC market to these Turkish Wines. You can read about our coverage of VinoRai and Turkish wine here, but a quick summary is that traditional grapes are grown in central Turkey (Anatolia) and mostly international varieties near the coast. In fact locals prefer these international varieties more than wine from indigenous grapes since they are considered more noble. And yes Turkish tasting wines from international varieties allows us to compare the grapes to other regions, but I am more intrigued with the long ancient tradition of the indigenous varieties such as Kalecik Karasi, Öküzgöz, and Boğazkere.

Turasan 2013 Kalicek Karasi (13%) - Turasan is one of Turkey’s oldest and largest wineries with its founding in 1943. It is now run by third generation Hasan Tursan with Edouard Guérin the winemaker. The winery is located in high altitude Cappadocia (Mid-Southern Anatolia), which is best known for the white grape Emir and blue-black grape Kalecik Karasi. The region provides limited water supply so grapes take longer to reach full maturity - producing intense fruit. The Kalecik Karasi was almost extinct, but resurrected to to the efforts of Turkish and French experts and the Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture.The name Kalecik Karası means the “black from the small castle” and in fact the small village of Kalecik contains a castle.  The Turasan 2013 Kalicek Karasi is bright and tart with fresh red fruit and a little cinnamon on the tail. I can see why Kalicek Karasihas been called the Pinot Noir of Turkey. 

Yazgan 2013 Bogazkere ($20, 13%) - Like Turasan, Yazgan is one of Turkey’s oldest and largest wineries and is located in Izmir - near the coast bordering the Aegean Sea. The winery was founded by Mr. Huseyin Yazgan in 1943 and whereas the family is still involved, Antoine Bastide D’Izard is currently the winemaker. Being an indigenous grape, the Boğazkere fruit is sourced from the Diyarbakir province in SE Anatolia. In fact Diyarbakir is considered Boğazker's native province where the grape thrives in the hot, dry Continental summers and cold, wet winters. The word Boğazker translates to throat burner since the thick-skinned red grape produces murky full-bodied and tannic wines.  The 2013 Boğazkere starts with a cherried tobacco aroma, with sour cherries and dark fruit on the palate, and finishing with prevalent yet manageable tannins. A very solid wine.


Diren 2011 Karmena Red Blend (13.5%) - Since it's founding in 1958, the Diren Winery has focused on indigenous Turkish varietals in the Tokat region of Anatolia. In 1985 Mustafa Vasfi Diren transferred the wine making duties over to his son Ali Diren who has continued the tradition of promoting indigenous varietals.  The 2011 Karmena Red is a blend of five grapes (35% Öküzgözü 30% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Boğazker) with each providing a unique characteristic to the final wine. According to the winery,  "Okuzgozu grape lays a framework of luscious red fruits in the wine, with Bogazkere providing tannin and backbone. To these we add Cabernet Sauvignon for its body, Syrah for its spiciness, and round it out with Merlot for its supple character."  The wine is extremely friendly, juicy and smooth, with a slightly spicy - but long juicy finish.

Tokat regionAnatolia

2011 Gali Evreshe ($25, 14.5%) Bordeaux blend Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc from estate vineyards adjacent to the Aegean Sea on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The first impression was a candied hot aroma followed by more candied fruit, finishing with big juicy tannin. This is a wine that must be decanted - surprisingly so since the wine meets zero oak.  After settling, the heat and candied character diminishes providing more juicy flavors, but still plenty of tannins.  Or as +vtwinemedia tweeted " Right Bank Bordeaux backbone; Napa-like power; Stony structure all its own".

#WineStudio's Prelude to Turkey With VinoRai - Part II

May's #WineStudio continued it's focus on VinoRai's program to import Turkish wines into the United States. Last week we learned about the program as well as tasted the Turasan 2013 Emir ($14, 13.5%). This week we continued our introduction to Turkish wines with the Diren 2012 Öküzgözü Collection ($15, 13.3%). This wine consists of 85% of the indigenous Öküzgözü grape as well as 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Diren winery is also located in Anatolia, this time in the Tokat region. It was started by Mustafa Vasfi Diren in 1958, with his son Ali taking the helm in 1985. Although French, the winemaker, Jean Luc continues the tradition on focusing on indigenous varieties. Öküzgözü is a favorite and typically produces "medium-bodied wines with ripe fruit and spice flavors with plenty of acidity".  The Diren Öküzgözü was fermented and aged in stainless steel and interestingly, aged 1.5 years in stainless steel. This creates an easy finish with any spiciness an inherent attribute of the grape. The front end starts very dusty but eventually opens to a sour cherry - plum profile and a very easy finish. Another great value wine. Cheers to VinoRai and Turkish wine.

#WineStudio's Prelude to Turkey With VinoRai - Part I

May's #WineStudio presents another opportunity to learn more about VinoRai's en devour to import Turkish wines into the United States. Whereas Turkey is the 6th largest grape grower, it accounts for only 2% of total world wine production. However, in the past 10 years there has been a resurgence in the Turkish wine industry, with wine makers focusing on that country's 800 native varieties.  There are four major grape growing regions: Anatolia, Thrace, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean (the largest region). Wines of Turkey provides a nice overview of these regions; but in general, the coastal regions (Thrace, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean) have a more Mediterranean climate and specialize in international varieties. Regions further inland, such as Anatolia, produce wine from mostly indigenous varieties such as Emir, Narince, Öküzgözü, and Boğazkere.

Cappadocia is a sub-region within Anatolia that has a continental climate with a large diurnal swing in temperatures, volcanic soils and high elevations (4,000 feet). According to VinoRai, wine making has occurred in Cappadocia for 7,000 years  The region specializes in the Emir grape, in fact its the only region in the world where this grape is grown. Emir is an ancient grape having been vinified since the Hittite era (1700 BC).  It is pronounced "eh-MEER" and translates to "prince" - most likely because it was once served as table grapes to royalty.

VinoRai compares it to Torrontes and that was a suitable comparison when we sampled the Turasan 2013 Emir ($14, 13.5%).  The Turasan winery was established in 1943; the first modern, private winery in the region; and the largest producer in the Cappadocia region. And the current winemaker is a third generation owner:  Hasan Turasan. The grapes for the 2013 Emir were fermented in stainless steel then aged sur-lie. The result is a wine with a strong floral aroma; fresh meyer lemon flavor; with a balance between creamy minerals (salt) and refreshing acids. Very nice.  The balloon on the label represents Cappadocia's popular hot air balloon tourism. Need to put this area on the agenda. Cheers.

Learning About Turkish Wine with Vinorai Wines on #WineChat

This past Wednesday, #WineChat  featured the Turkish wines from importer Vinorai Wines. During the hour chat we learned several facts about the wine industry in Turkey such as DNA analysis shows that grape seeds were domesticated in Anatolia as far back as 9000 BC. Whereas Turkey accounts for only 2% of total world wine production, they are the 6th largest grape grower. There are four major grape growing regions: Anatolia, Thrace, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean - the largest. Anatolia produces wine from mostly the indigenous varieties such as Emir, Narince,  Öküzgözü, and Boğazkere. They remaining regions have a more Mediterranean climate and specialize in international varieties, although the indigenous planting are increasing.


During the evening, I sipped on the Selection Narince - Emir 2011 from Kavaklidere Winery. Several of this winery's wines are available locally at Cenan's Bakery in Vienna, VA.  The winery is one of the largest in Turkey and is located in Anatolia. The Narince and Emir grapes were harvested from vineyards in Tokat and Cappadocia. After fermentation, the wine was aged eight months in French oak. The result is a wine with a big aroma, a creamsicle texture, green apple and lemon flavor, and decent acids on the finish. And quite the value at $12.  That should be an incentive to check out Turkish wine. Cheers.

Wine Making Is as Old as Civilization

Here's another example to give to any temperance believer who thinks alcoholic beverages should be banned from society. And believe me these people are out there. This article describes the discovery of a 6,000 year old wine press - the oldest ever discovered - which shows that alcohol consumption is as old as mankind itself. The press was retrieved from a caveside cemetery in what is now southern Armenia and holds remnants of an ancient red grape. 'The press itself is a shallow clay basin about three feet (one meter) in diameter, surrounded by grape seeds and dried-out grape vines." Wonder if there were wine critics rating these wines, way back then.....

Wines of Turkey

On the heels of us sampling our first Turkish made wines, We read a press release this week announcing that the "Wines of Turkey Kicks off Promotional Campaign". And "a blind tasting of 49 wines from 16 wineries gave Kavaklidere, consulted to by Bordeaux-based Stephane Derenoncourt and the only Turkish winery exporting to the USA (House of Burgundy in NY and Four Potomac Wines in DC), overall honors". Kavaklidere was the winery which produced the wines we have access to purchase. The Wines of Turkey also provide an informative website that lists and describes the major grapes, regions, and wineries. Navigate over, its worth a read.

More Turkish Wines from Kavaklidere Winery

We returned to Cenan's Bakery in order to see what other offerings from Kavaklidere Winery the bakery offered and purchased a white and red - the Çankaya and Selection Öküzgözü-Boğazkere. The first is apparently the most popular white wine in Turkey and is made from the indigenous Narince, Emir, and Sultaniye grapes. This is a classic European wine - the fruitiness is not overwhelming and the wine has plenty of mineral content. This is simply and excellent choice for everyday white wine. Highly recommended.

The Selection Öküzgözü-Boğazkere is obviously a blend of these domestic grapes and is one of the premier offerings from the winery. The wine was first produced in 1987 to honor the 60th anniversary of the winery. The grapes are selected from the finest vineyards in Eastern Anatolia and after fermenting, aged 12 months in French Oak. The result is a full bodied wine - much fuller than the Yakut Kavaklidere Oküzgözü - but extremely smooth at the tail. There is really no need to age this wine to loosen the tannins. We served this wine to house guests who were not only surprised to try a Turkish wine, but also on the quality. These wines will not doubt become staples in our cellar.

Yakut Kavaklidere Oküzgözü

For the past nine years we have been entering our favorite bakery, Cenan's, and past right by their wine rack since our preferred wine shop is located in the same shopping center. However, last week while waiting for our our, I browsed through and found a few Turkish wines made by Kavaklıdere Winery. Now it shouldn't be a surprise that wine is made in Eastern Anatolia since grapes have been planted in that region from 4,000 B.C.. And even with the current political and religious culture in the Middle East, wine making is still relatively prevalent. Kavaklıdere Winery, was the first private sector wine producer in Turkey, having been established in 1929 in Ankara. Most of their wines are made from grapes indigenous to the regions - with a few "Western" varieties mixed in.

Turkish Yakut wine is a blend of Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, Carignan, and Alicante and the version I purchased is primarily Öküzgözü. According to their site, "The Oküzgözü grape is part of the native Turkish red grape prolific around the mountainous Elazig region in eastern Turkey. The area is perfect for growing this type of grape thanks to its proximity to the Euphrates River, which helps to moderate the usually severe climate typical of this area. Öküzgözü, which literally translates as ‘ox eye’ are perfectly round, dark red grapes, which produce excellent dry red wine with a propensity to age well up to 10 years."

The Yakut Kavaklidere Oküzgözü wine was a nice discovery. It is a very drinkable everyday table wine: medium bodied, with light tannins. It is produced to consume now - and thus we did. An added bonus is that it retails just over $10. We will be back to Cenan's Bakery to try their other Turkish brands.