Discerning drinker: Turkish wine

 
16 August 2012

For a man who seems to spend much of his life shuttling between California and Turkey – as well as Argentina, Spain and Italy - winemaker Daniel O’Donnell was looking remarkably fresh as he gave me a glass of his Kayra Cameo sparkling rosé. Admittedly, it’s not hard to relax standing, as we were, on the terrace at his friend Sahir Erozan’s stunning boutique hotel near Bodrum, Maçakizi (macakizi.com). But O’Donnell also exudes the confidence of a man finally cracking a big challenge: hauling Turkey’s wine industry into the twenty-first century.

“In my first year, I poured away 12 million litres,” he recounts. “Although it is not fair to call the 12 million wine, more in the order of vinegar cheese spread dusted lightly with brett.”

That was seven years ago, dealing with slapdash practices at volume wineries in parent group Mey’s portfolio. But most of O’Donnell’s attention is now focussed on Kayra, which launched the 2009 vintage of its premium Imperial cuvée last month.

Kayra is not alone: other Turkish producers too are now making quality wines. On their side, they have some promising local grape varieties, especially reds such as öküzgözü and kalecik karası. Their challenge is high summer temperatures, and a domestic market that prefers beer and rakı to wine – if it drinks at all.

In the UK, Turkish wine can be hard to find: it tends to be the preserve of restaurants and north London stores. But it’s worth exploring.

Kayra Vintage Series Chardonnay 2010, Denizli (mail order only from tasteturkey.com, £18.65) A convincing chardonnay from the Aegean region, balanced and with length – though a little expensive in the UK for what it is. Kayra’s 2009 Imperial, a rich and impressively structured cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend, is sadly only available here in a few high-end restaurants, such as The Fat Duck.

Kavaklıdere Lâl Rosé 2010, Denizli (widely available in Turkish stores and off-licences or mail order from turkishsupermarket.co.uk, around £7) A perfect summer rosé from the çalkarası grape: peppery, dry but slightly rounded, very fresh. From Kavaklıdere, Turkey’s best known and oldest brand: their similarly priced Çankaya 2010 and Angora 2010 whites are crisp and attractive summer drinking, too.

Pamukkale Anfora Trio 2010, Denizli (M&S, £7.49 or £5.62 – 25 per cent off – when you buy any six bottles, until 2 Sept) Mostly kalecik karası and syrah with a bit of cabernet sauvignon, this is a dark, peppery red with sweet fruit and soft tannins, not unlike a Côtes du Rhône. Good value on offer.

Vinkara Doruk Öküzgözü 2009, Ankara (mail order only from tasteturkey.com, £8.99) Öküzgözü is native to eastern Anatolia: this example brims with typical bright, fresh cherry fruit.

Twitter @Hernehillandy

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