Relatively new to the wine scene, Turkish wines are starting to contend with more established wines for their rightful place in serious vintages.  After more than a decade of modernizing winemaking techniques and cultivating indigenous grape varieties, as well as adapting other foreign varieties to Turkish soil, what has transpired has been nothing short of miraculous.  Some Turkish grape varieties had been neglected, close to extinction, recently revived and are now enjoying a spectacular revival some never expected or imagined possible.

Despite Turkey's Islamic roots, the secular society of Turkey continues to enjoy the beverage that originated in their own backyard.  The good news for them is that their own native vineyards are only getting better.  Palates are being educated, taste buds are being tweaked with the improved depth and balance of their own native grapes.  Now it is time to share the bounty of Turkey with the rest of the world.

Here is a rundown of Turkey’s indigenous grapes and the flavors you might expect from them:

Okuzgozu (Okuz gozu) is a grape native to the Eliazig Province located north of the Taurus Mountains.

Okuzgozu has rounded, dark colored grapes, which are the largest among the grape varieties grown in Turkey. The Turkish word Okuzgozu literally means "ox eye".

Okuzgozu ages well up to 10 years – has a bright red color, reveals intense fruity flavors of raspberry and cherry, and is rich with a well-balanced body with light tannins. It is often combined with Bogazkere, another grape from this region. A wonderful example of this combination is produced by Corvus, (an exceptional winery on the island of Bozcaada) aptly named Okuzgozu & Bogazkere. On its own, a fine example of Okuzgozu is Kayra’s Terra Anadolu Okuzgozu. Kavist.com carries all Okuzgozu wines. Kavaklidere and Kayra has produced some amazing Okuzgozu wines (sarab)

Bogazkere is a Turkish grape variety originating from the Eliazig Province near the Tigris River in Southeastern Turkey. It has a very dark, red garnet color. On the nose it is very rich and strong with aromas of dried red fruits and spices. Bogazkere is a rich grape -very well structured and strong with and enjoyable finish. Bogazkere literally means "Burning Throat" so with this in mind it is no wonder often combined with the softer, lighter Okuzgozu grape. Kayra’s Buzbag Rezerv is a beautiful wine that combines the two. Doluca saraplari and Kayra saraplari have produces very good bogazkere wines (saraplari). You can test them and KAVist location in Istanbul Sapphire Shopping mall.

Cal Karası ("Cal Black") is a variety of red wine grape from the Cal district of the Denizli Province of western Turkey. The wine produced from the grape is sweet with berry fruit flavors. Light and sweet, Kavaklidere’s Rosato is a perfect example of Cal Karasi.

Kalecik Karası is a grape and wine called by the name of area, the Kalecik district of the Ankara Province of Turkey. Kalecik Karası grows successfully near the Kizli River and is used to make some of Turkey's best red wine.

Kalecik Karası grapes are famous for their unique taste, aroma and flavor. It has the color of a ruby stone, is rich, well-balanced, and has an aroma of red fruit, vanilla, and cocoa. It has a light, fresh, and elegant finish. Kalecik Karası has become one of Turkey’s most popular and prized grapes. Knowing this, it is hard to believe that the grape was close to extinction. Thanks to a group of Turkish and French vintners who learned the value and potential of this grape, it has been revived into a truly outstanding variety. This unique quality has been honored with several awards won in International wine contests, and has attracted the interest of Turkish wine lovers. Because of high demand, this grape is now also cultivated in other parts of Turkey with similar climatic conditions, such as the high grounds of the Denizli region. All Turkish wine producers have at least one Kalecik Karasi in their line. Kavaklidere has several, from the Prestige label (58TL) to Ancyra (19TL). Kavaklidere saraplari is very well know in Turkey & they have a very large selection.

Of course you will find a wide selection of these varieties at any restaurant, but you will pay triple what you would to buy them at Kavist.com , Istanbul’s best wine shop, Istanbul’s hottest bar, Kavist is also surrounded by Istanbul best restaurants. You can also purchase them online at www.kavist.com. ( Kavist has a full service Online Wine Shop in Istanbul) Delivery within Istanbul is 6TL and free when you spend over 99TL. Try some Turkish wines today.