Wines of Turkey go from strength to strength

Wines of Turkey proved a hit at the London International Wine Fair last week, with one of the most packed tasting sessions organised by the IWSC.

Hosted by Turkey’s first ever Master Sommelier, Isa Bal, the tasting covered a variety of regions as well as a mix of both indigenous and internationally recognised grape varieties.  

Turkish wines have grown in popularity in recent years, partly due to a boost in marketing from the umbrella body Wines of Turkey as well as a marked improvement in the quality of the wines – an improvement that has been noted by not only consumers but also international competition judges, as testified by the 155 medals won last year alone.

The Turkish wine market is still in its infancy, producing only 75 million litres of wine a year, with the majority of sales still taking place in the domestic market.

Taner Ögütoglu, director of Wines of Turkey, said: “We are at the very beginning with the UK market.

“If you look at the period before our marketing efforts, Turkish wines were in ethnic markets, but they’re not our target audience. In the last two years we have gained presence in high-end restaurants and we are now concentrating our efforts of independent retailers.

“We hope to be in the key ones within a year.”
 
Previously associated with harsh tannic reds and oxidised whites, the country’s winemakers have been working hard to rein-in the tannins and carefully balance all their wines, with very positive results.

A couple of favourites for the db tasting panel included the Vinkara Doruk Narince 2010, a local white grape variety with pear notes and a full bodied creamy texture – a very successful balance of freshness with fatness; as well as the Selendi Gulpembe 2010 rosé which used a Provençal blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault.

This full bodied – but not overpowering – rosé has warming notes of wild thyme on the nose and a refreshing palate with lingering acidity.

Given its historic role as a limbo-state between East and West, Europe and Asia, thanks to its geographic location, Turkey has always had a very rich culture with strong influences from the two very different cultures which come into contact through its borders.

Its wine mirrors the cultural diversity thanks to the combination of indigenous and international grapes, as well as the mix of Old and New World production techniques, creating some very exciting wines.  

Marinel FitzSimons, 25.05.2011