A wine from what many consider to be a newcomer to the wine scene, Turkey’s first commercial winery was only opened in 1925, even though wine had been made there for thousands of years. This year I have been tasting quite a few Turkish wines and I have got to say, when they stick to their indigenous varieties, they make some great wines. One that has stuck in my mind was the Diren Collection Kalicik Karasai 2013 from Central Anatolia. This wine adds a splash of Syrah to the local Kalicik Karasai grape to produce a floral, rose and violet aroma and ripe juicy, dark fruit flavours with a drying edge of bright tannins. A softly flavoured wine that has enough backbone to stand up to some flavourful dishes. Lamb Shish kebab (not a doner) comes to mind as a great accompaniment.

Tom Forrest... Head Sommelier at Vinopolis.... Follow him on Twitter @VinopolisTom