Discover the top 100 best white wines of Turkey as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the white wines that are popular of Turkey and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Turkey, located on the Anatolian peninsula between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, produces more grapes than any other country in the world. However, only a very small proportion of these grapes are made into wine; as a predominantly Muslim nation, Turkey's per capita Alcohol consumption is very low.
The lack of wine production in Turkey is highly ironic, as wine historians believe that viticulture and winemaking originated in this Part of the world. Archaeological projects in Turkey and neighboring countries in the Levant have uncovered evidence suggesting that primitive VineBreeding was part of life here more than 6,000 years ago, which explains the abundance of wine grapes (vinifera).
The most commonly used wine grapes in Turkey are those used as table grapes, the only use they could be put to during the seven centuries of Ottoman rule. Ampelographic research has suggested that Turkey is home to between 500 and 1000 distinct varieties of vinifera grapes.
Although Turkey's wine history is one of the oldest in the world, the modern Turkish wine industry is very Young. Turkey only began producing wine again in 1925, as a symbol of the nation's modernization and westernization.
The founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, established the country's oldest winery. The largest winery in modern Turkey is owned by tobacco giant Tekel (whose name translates as "monopoly"), now a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.
Turkey's transcontinental location, between the deserts of Arabia (its eastern neighbours are Syria, Iraq and Iran) and the seas of Eastern Europe (the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea), results in significant climatic variations within its borders. While the western coastal regions have a temperate Mediterranean Climate, with hot, Dry summers and milder, wetter winters, the northern regions (on the Black Sea) have significantly higher humidity in summer and colder winters.
Supple, fragrant reds with fine tannins and vibrant freshness, showing raspberry, violet, green pepper, pencil lead and gentle spice aromas. Star of the Loire as a single variety (Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny) and of the right bank of Bordeaux in blends (Cheval Blanc at 60%). Also in semi-dry Anjou rosés. A historic Bordeaux variety, parent of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère.
white wines from the region of Turkey go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of creole chipolatas, salmon pizza or spinach and goat cheese quiche.
On the nose in the region of Turkey often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, tropical or citrus and sometimes also flavors of pepper, honeysuckle or honey.
