The Eurasian Paradox

Turkey (officially the Republic of Turkey) is one of the few contiguous transcontinental countries in the world. Situated on the European side, its capital Istanbul used to be Constantinople and triumphantly referred to as “Second Rome”, as the extremely resilient millennium-old Byzantine Empire was the heir and eastern remnant of the Roman Empire. The bulk of Turkey’s land mass, however, is situated on the Asian side, named Anatolia or Asia Minor.
Covering ca. 780,000 sq km and with a population of ca. 78 million, Turkey is almost as large as France and Italy combined, and roughly as populous as Germany, indeed the country with the largest Turkish population outside of Turkey. Surrounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Caucasus to the east, Turkey has a myriad of terroirs and meso-climates for viticulture. Meanwhile, its northeastern and eastern neighbours, respectively Georgia and Armenia, are amongst the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.
Although Turkey is the fourth largest grape-producing country in the world, only a small percentage of its produce is actually fermented into wine, whereas the larger part is either consumed as fresh fruits or made into dried fruits. Islamic dietary laws generally prohibit the consumption of alcohol, and even if Turkey is known for its rakı (the unsweetened milky-coloured anise-flavoured alcoholic drink), historically it was the Rûms (Greeks under Ottoman rule; etymology comes from the Romans, referring to the Byzantine Empire) and Albanians (majority Muslim) who were involved in the business.
But the further away from the Arabian Peninsula, the less ardently it seems the dietary laws were enforced, e.g. the Moors of Al-Andalus were known to be quite keen on sherry. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first president of the newborn republic and field marshal during WWI, established the country’s first winery in 1925, as part of his national programme to modernise, secularise and westernise the country. It was also during his tenure that the Latin-based Turkish alphabet was adopted to replace the old Perso-Arabic alphabet.
The coastal regions of Turkey are responsible for most of its wine production. Whereas Istanbul and the surrounding Marmara region on the European side borders Greece and Bulgaria, the province of İzmir on the Asian side is one of the leading wine-producing regions of Turkey. Thanks to the vineyards’ high altitude, dry climate and plenty of sunshine, well-made Turkish wines are not unlike South American wines.

  Urla Şarapçılık Nexus 2011
A blend of Merlot, Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Franc. Rich garnet with cardinal-purple rim, the fragrant nose offers redcurrant, red cherry, fine oak, crushed rock and geranium. Anchored by rich acidity and ripe tannins, the sturdy palate delivers bilberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, game and smoke. Medium-full bodied at 15%, the dense entry carries onto a smoky mid-palate, leading to a long finish.

Urla Şarapçılık Nero d’Avola-Urla Karası 2011
A blend of Nero d’Avola and the Turkish indigenous variety Urla Karası. Rich garnet with carmine-purple rim, the aromatic nose presents blueberry, black cherry, spice box, dark chocolate and rose. Braced by generous acidity and tasty tannins, the expressive palate supplies bilberry, damson, allspice, tobacco leaf and rosewood. Medium-full bodied at 15%, the succulent entry continues through a lovely mid-palate, leading to a fruity finish.

Urla Şarapçılık Vourla 2010
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and the Turkish indigenous variety Boğazkere. Rich garnet with burgundy-purple rim, the scented nose effuses cranberry, redcurrant, allspice, cigar box and wild flowers. Supported by bright acidity and smooth tannins, the redolent palate emanates red cherry, plum, red tea, cinnamon and sous bois. Medium-full bodied at 14.5%, the fruit-driven entry persists through a sprightly mid-palate, leading to a lengthy finish. Jacky I.F. Cheong

Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain,
France, and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages