I am making it my mission this summer to try all the Misket wines produced in Turkey! And so far all of them are winners. Doluca's Safir is no exception. Before I wax poetical about its orange blossom and honeysuckle flavors, a little technical information about the Misket grape is needed, I think.
Misket (or Muscat for us Westerners) grapes come from Izmir along the Aegean. The wines they produce run the gambit between "dry" to dessert. I say "dry" though as my personal experience, with any Muscat, not just Turkish, is that a so-called "dry" Muscat leans a little closer to semi-dry than straight up dry.
The nose of a Misket will be full of tropical fruits, flowers, and citrus which are all easily detectable; and also apparently bay leaves and thyme which I have a harder time smelling. The easily drinkable flavors of honeysuckle, orange blossom, basil, roses, mint, honey, bergamont, lemon balm, daisies, grapefruit, and melon make this a wine that goes well with all sorts of cheeses (from mild dessert cheese to cheddar and blues), seafood, spicy food, light foods...and it's just delightful all on its own!
All Miskets seem to live in the same 30-35 TL price range, and I have no idea why. Are there fewer Misket grapes grown vs demand? Are they more difficult to grow? No idea but it's something to be aware of if you're out shopping for a Misket. Which means for me that it might be a bit of a pricey summer!
I have tried several Miskets now from Terra, Ancyra, and now Doluca. I don't have a favorite yet but I know there are a few more out there. Either I'll hit on one eventually or will spread the love around to all producers all summer!
And less anyone think I'm just really well-informed about Turkish grapes, let me burst those bubbles by saying that (aside from my taste buds) all my information comes from the Wines of Turkey website :)
Misket (or Muscat for us Westerners) grapes come from Izmir along the Aegean. The wines they produce run the gambit between "dry" to dessert. I say "dry" though as my personal experience, with any Muscat, not just Turkish, is that a so-called "dry" Muscat leans a little closer to semi-dry than straight up dry.
The nose of a Misket will be full of tropical fruits, flowers, and citrus which are all easily detectable; and also apparently bay leaves and thyme which I have a harder time smelling. The easily drinkable flavors of honeysuckle, orange blossom, basil, roses, mint, honey, bergamont, lemon balm, daisies, grapefruit, and melon make this a wine that goes well with all sorts of cheeses (from mild dessert cheese to cheddar and blues), seafood, spicy food, light foods...and it's just delightful all on its own!
All Miskets seem to live in the same 30-35 TL price range, and I have no idea why. Are there fewer Misket grapes grown vs demand? Are they more difficult to grow? No idea but it's something to be aware of if you're out shopping for a Misket. Which means for me that it might be a bit of a pricey summer!
I have tried several Miskets now from Terra, Ancyra, and now Doluca. I don't have a favorite yet but I know there are a few more out there. Either I'll hit on one eventually or will spread the love around to all producers all summer!
And less anyone think I'm just really well-informed about Turkish grapes, let me burst those bubbles by saying that (aside from my taste buds) all my information comes from the Wines of Turkey website :)
No comments:
Post a Comment