Maddie's Vine

May 3rd, 2013

Yazgan, a family affair

6 comments / Categories: Turkey, Wine / Tags: Aegean sea, Bo?azkere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Emir, Izmir, Kalekcik Karasi, Mahra, Merlot, Rose wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Sultaniye, Öküzgözü

In the Yazgan family house, situated in between the vineyards in Ulucak, close to Izmir, hangs a traditional wedding dress that belonged to the mother of Hüseyin Yazgan, the founder of Yazgan Winery. This beautiful, handmade wedding dress made with velvet and golden lace, speaks of the great story of Mr Yazgan's roots in Greece and what he left behind. Settling in Izmir, in the Aegean region of Turkey, he brought his knowledge of vineyards and winemaking with him and in 1943 he established Yazgan Winery. With this he left his family a legacy of one of the oldest and largest wineries in Turkey with the yearly production capacity of almost 7million liters.

Didem Yazgan Alemdar, a third generation in this wine family, tells with fondness about her grandfathers work, the family tree and then also about the exciting new project.

One of the new ventures for Yazgan wine is the Vondina project. The name of their Premium label. The first production was released this year(2013) and already the Vondina Chardonnay 2011 walked away with a Silver medal at the prestiges Chardonnay du Monde 2013. The vineyards are in Turgutlu, about 20 km from Ulucak and named after the small village, Vondina in Greece that represents the roots of the Yazgan family.

Yazgan has a wide range of labels using both the grapes from their own vineyards and purchased grapes from various grape suppliers all around Turkey. They purchase the best quality local grapes from every region. Öküzgözü from Elazig, Bogaskere from Diyarbakir, Narince from Tokat and Emir from Nevsehir.

Their own vineyards are planted in Turgutlu, 40km east from Izmir, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Major UK wine importers are catching on to Turkish wines now and Yazgan can be found on the shelves in the UK and Europe. Turkey is producing a small but growing amount of world class wines. In recent years wine producers in Turkey started sending their wines to prestigious international competitions, such as the International Wine Challenge and the Decanter World Wine Awards in London. A Turkish entrepreneur and wine educator, Yunus Emre Kocabasoglu, has been inviting some Masters of Wines (MW) to Turkey in the last few years. They have tastings in Istanbul which are open to the public and rank Turkish wines by using the 100 pointer system. Yazgan wines has been doing very well here. As this post goes out Masters of Wine are gathering in Istanbul again for the 2013 tasting.

What I enjoy about Yazgan wines, specifically the Mahra range of wines is that the prices are very good for the quality you get. Mahra is the Ottoman name for the wooden crates used to carry grapes during harvesting time. Antoine Bastide D'Izard, the French winemaker and production manager is from an old wine producing family in Southern France. Antoine is a 7th generation winemaker who has 15 years of experience in wine making. With his experience and using the latest of the ever advancing technologies, he is bringing the best out of the international and indigenous grapes.

Premium Wines:

VODINA Chardonnay 2011 Aged “sur-lie” for 11 months in French oak barrels

Chardonnay du Monde Siver medal 2013

“Lovely golden colour with silver glints, crystal clear and brilliant wine. The bouquet assaults the nose, powerfully explosive with notes of mango and lychee. On the palate the same aromas are found with the added nuance of grapefruit. This aromatic fusion is underlined by an exceptional roundness, rendering the wine full and ripe. The fresh and intense finale reveals mineral notes and a good persistence in the mouth.” Antoine Bastide D’Izard – Oenologist

VODINA Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah & Merlot 2011 Aged for 12 months in French and American Oak Barrels

“Deep crimson colour. Powerful and rich nose with notes of dark fruit preserve. On the palate, complex, intense wine with notes of sweet spices, pepper and roasted coffee. This full, round wine displays a perfect balance between tannic texture and freshness in the mouth. With its strong aromatic potential and intensity, this wine lingers warmly and persistently in the mouth.” Antoine Bastide D’Izard – Oenologist

Kupaj wines:

(Kupaj means wine made with two or three different grapes)

MAHRA Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah 2011

MAHRA Bogazkere & Öküzgözü 2011

International Wine Challenge: Bronze Medal – 2012

Decanter: Bronze Medal – 2012

MAHRA Kalecik Karasi& Syrah

International Wine Challenge: Bronze Medal – 2012

Decanter: Silver Medal – 2012

MAHRA Sauvignon Blanc & Sultaniye

International Wine Challenge: Bronze Medal – 2012

Decanter: Bronze Medal – 2012

Masters of Wine 2013 – 89 points, second highest score of white wines

MAHRA Sultaniye & Emir

International Wine Challenge: Commended 2012

Decanter: Commended 2012

MAGENTA Merlot & Bogazkere 2012

MAGENTA Öküzgözü & Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

ROSEO 2011 Kalecik Karasi and Öküzközü

International Wine Challenge: Commended 2012

Decanter: Commended 2012

Monosepaj/Yazgan wines:

( Monesapaj means 100% one type of grape)

YAZGAN Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

YAZGAN Bogazkere 2011

YAZGAN Öküzgözü 2011

YAZGAN Merlot 2011

YAZGAN Syrah 2011

International Wine Challenge: Bronze Medal –2012

YAZGAN Chardonnay 2011

YAZGAN Sauvignon Blanc 2011

YAZGAN Emir 2011

Popular wines:

CASABA Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2011

CASABA Öküzgözü & Syrah 2011

CASABA Chardonnay & Emir & Sultaniye 2011

CASABA Semi-Sweet 2011

DOLCE VITA Red 2012

DOLCE VITA Rose 2012

DOLCE VITA Beyaz(white) 2012

Table wines:

KULÜP Red 2012

KULÜP Rose 2012

KULÜP Beyaz(white) 2012

Hüseyin Yazgan would be proud of the way the third and fourth generation of his family are taking the Yazgan winery to new heights. They are out there promoting, with the family and team behind them full of enthusiasm. This year, 2013, they will celebrate the 70th year of Yazgan. Something to be proud of and together with their wines they still have an even brighter future.

YAZGAN WINERY:

Address: 7093 Sok. No: 7 Pinarbasi – Izmir – Türkiye

Tel: +90 232 479 11 35

Email: istanbul@yazganwine.com

Yazgan website: www.yazganwine.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yazganwinery

Twitter: @yazgan_wine

Happy 70th celebrations Yazgan!

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6 comments

April 25th, 2013

25 things I do in New York

6 comments / Categories: Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel /

Many of my friends are going to New York lately and as I've been in New York a few times, they always ask me what I think they must see and do. Well, this list is for them and anybody else that wants to know what my favourite things are to do in New York.

When I go to New York I'm always super organized with where I want to go. To not miss out on anything, I make a copy of a New York map before I leave and mark every place I want to go on the map. Then I know, when I walk the streets of New York exactly where all the places and addresses are without trying to look it up in a Guidebook. I don't miss out on anything in a particular area, as I've marked it on my map and know what I want to see…or mostly EAT in my case. Hubby thinks I've lost my mind, but when we are there he is thankful for me being so organized. Normally the first few days I've done all the things on my list and the rest of the time I just watch New York go by and pretend I'm a local.

25 things I do in New York

1. Carnegie Deli – famous for their Pastrami sandwich and Cheesecake.

2. Dean & Deluca – the original store in Soho. Full of an amazing selection of Deli food.

3. Eataly – Italy's food and wine under on roof. They say the food is better than in Italy itself.

4. Shake Shack – the best…and cheapest Burger I've ever had! Order chips and the famous Frozen Custard Shake with it too.

5. Horse carriage ride in Central Park – you just have to experience Central Park this way! Still very romantic!

6. Serendipity3 – a delightful place where the movie, Serendipity was filmed. the food is good, but the Frozen Hot Chocolate is a must!

7. Ellen Stardust Diner – for singing and dancing waiters while eating in a real American diner. The food is not that great but I love the entertainment.

8. I'll Mulino – an amazing Italian restaurant with great service and food! Start with a glass of Prosecco at the bar.

9. Tribeca Grill – owned by Robert de Niro. Still a favourite with New Yorkers. A lovely restaurant for celebrity spotting! With the 20,000-bottle wine list, it is one of only seven restaurants in New York to receive the Grand Award from Wine Spectator Magazine.

10. Union Square park – mix with the locals. Take a cup of coffee and food and sit and watch the locals come out to play. Feed the Squirrels while doing that! There is also a great Christmas market there during Decembers.

11. Madison Square Park – buy food at Eataly and enjoy it in the park. The original Shake Shack is here!

12. Plaza Food Hall – upmarket and beautiful! Go and have coffee afterwards at the Plaza hotel. Very posh!

13. Tour through Waldorf Astoria Hotel – Grace Kelly had her engagement party here and famous residence has been the gangsters Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano and also Cole Porter and Marilyn Monroe. Home to the Waldorf Salad.

14. Magnolia Bakery – cupcakes from Sex and the City! Go to the original one in Bleecker street and take a stroll afterwards in the West Village.

15. Sarabeth's – a sweet place with the legendary spreadable fruit! Great for scones and tea.

16. Dylan's Candy Bar - even for an adult this place is heaven! Ralph Lauren's daughter opened this packed to the ceiling full of sweets shop.

17. Lexington Candy Shop – a wonderfully preserved retro old diner. A piece of American history with the original Soda fountain.

18. Dakota Building and Strawberry Fields – if you are a John Lennon fan, this is where he lived and died in New York and the area in Central Park is a tribute to this Beatle.

19. Sex and the City Tour – wonderful way to see places in New York that you won't normally go to. From shoestores to Sexshops to having a Cosmopolitan where Carrie had one. My husband loved this tour too!

20. Balthazar – this place is nothing but DELICIOUS!!! A favorite spot for Oprah and Bill Clinton, the food is just great! Beautiful and yummy!

21. Grand Central Station – go to the legendary Oyster bar and mingle with the commuters. It is a beautiful building!

22. Grimaldi's – under the shadow of Brooklyn bridge with a memorable view of Manhattan from this picturesque part of Brooklyn. Grimaldi's is an institution with the best Pizza in New York.

23. Katz Deli – the place where in the movie When Harry met Sally's famous “I'll have what they having” moment took place.

24. Empire State Building – the view is breathtaking! Book your ticket online before the time to skip the long queues.

25. Venieros Pastry – the oldest Italian bakery in America. Don't leave New York without trying their Cannoli's, Italian pastry at its best!

This is only a list of 25 places. There is alot more to love and to share about this city that never sleeps. As you've noticed the list is mostly around food places. Now that is where my, call it, obsession is.

Please tell me your favourite spots, so I can look them up next time I'm in New York!

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6 comments

April 15th, 2013

Interview with Chef Sezai Erdogan

Leave a comment / Categories: Food, Interviews, People of Turkey, Restaurants / Tags: Anatolia, Baklava, Black sea, Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Lamb, Testi Kebabi

After a memorable meal at Tugra and sitting next to the charming Executive chef of the Ciragan Palace Kempinki Hotel, I couldn't resist asking him a few questions about himself and his love of food.

Sezai Erdogan is a fascinating man that knows every back passage of this grand hotel, as he has been at the Kempinski Istanbul since its opening in 1990. He has worked with world-famous, Michelin-starred chefs including Alain Ducasse, Roger Verge, Michel Troisgros and Marc Meneau, organized Turkish Food festivals at the Plaza Hotel in New York and now he is back at the Ciragan Palace as their first Turkish Executive chef.

“Using regional products is vital for the taste of the food” says a chef that has a deep knowledge of Anatolian cuisine. And his other secret talent is that he is fluent in Japanese.

Where are you from originally?

I was born and grew up in Istanbul. However my roots is Bolu, Western Black sea.

What do you most love about Istanbul?

History,culture and cosmopolitan

What is your most popular dish among clients?

International dishes:

Wild Seabass with sauteed vegetable, Chicken curry with pineapple, Buffalo mozzarella with Basil pesto

Turkish dishes:

Testi Kebab, Centik Kebab, Monk fish wrapped in wine leave, Seabass with Mastic sauce

What is your personal favourite dish?

All kinds of fish from the local sea and all types of local vegetable cooked in olive oil. I basically love everything!

Your most memorable meal at a restaurant?

Sushi at the Okura hotel / Tokyo

Lamb dishes at Beyti /Istanbul

Pepper spaghetti /Venice

Baklava dessert from Gaziantep/Turkey

What countries are on your food travel wish list?

Japan

India

Thailand

A secret Food place(restaurant or shop) in Istanbul that we should go and visit?

Beyti in Yeselkoy www.beyti.com

Turkish Delight at Haci Bekir Lokum in Eminönü www.hacibekir.com

Kebabs at Develi in Kalamis www.develikebap.com

Turkish coffee at Mehmet Efendi in Eminönü www.mehmetefendi.com

A few dishes Chef Sezai spoke about that you may not know:

Centik Kebab – Grilled marinated lamb & chicken cubes laid on crispy string potato, garlic yogurt, tomato, peppers, finished with lightly spiced butter.

Testi Kebab – A dish from Central Anatolia and the Mid-Western Black Sea region, consisting of a mixture of meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot or jug over fire (testi means jug in Turkish). The pot is sealed and cracked open at the table.

Mastic Sauce - Have a look what Wikipedia says it is. http://en.wikipedia.org

Thank you Chef Sezai for sharing your fabulous life of food with us!

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April 10th, 2013

Tugra, Dinner in a Palace

Leave a comment / Categories: Dessert, Drinks, Fish, Food, Mezze, Restaurants / Tags: Baklava, Bosphorus, Bosphorus Bridge, Ciragan Palace Kempinsky, Dessert, Dolma, Etli Lahana Sarmasi, Fish, Gaziantep, Haydar, Içli, Istanbul, Kisir, Ottoman, Sauvignon Blanc, Testi Kebabi, Tugra restaurant

There is something indulging about eating at a hotel restaurant as a non-resident. The feeling of grandeur like you are on holiday with all the other people in the lounge. It is not only dinner. It becomes an event. First drinks in the lounge, then dinner, then back to drinks in the lounge, all while observing the people around you and wondering where they are from and what they are doing in Istanbul.

Here I am having dinner at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski on the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Once home to the last Sultans of the Ottoman empire. Voted as 'Top 25 Hotels in Turkey' for 2013, '100 Best Hotels of Europe' by Tripadvisor and 'Worlds Best Places go Stay' by Conde Naste Traveler. And you can see why! From the moment the valet opens the car door for you, you step into the splendor of this Grand hotel.

Everybody greets you like you are the most important person in the hotel and it feels like you can lift your chin, push out your chest and pretend for a minute that you are going upstairs to one of their suites.

I was in the fortunate position of having dinner at Tugra with the hotel's Executive chef, Sezai Erdogan and the Food and Beverage Director, Michael Braun. Tugra plays homage to the Ottoman cuisine. Appropriately, Tugra is the name of the calligraphic seal of the Ottoman Sultan. It is fine dining at its best but without any stuffiness. With a view over the Bosphorus you can for a moment loose yourself in the lights on the Asian side.

I was greeted with 'The sparkle of the Palace'. That is Pomegranate topped with Champagne and it was so good, I could have had that the whole night!

One of the many special touches to the evening was the hot towel that was given to wipe my hands before dinner. After which, a beautiful Mezze plate was served at the table with a scrumptious selection of Turkish finest ingredients. Broadbean(Fava) mousse, Hummus, Eggplant Salad, Artichokes in Olive Oil, Salted Shrimp and Yogurt with dill and garlic(Haydari). I particularly loved the Fava mousse. With this was served a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Turkish winery, Kavaklidere and the Red wine was Prodom Aydin. A blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Both wines from Turkey complimented the dishes so well.

In between the delicious mouth full of flavours, Sezai, the executive chef told me that they researched back into history to find the old Ottoman recipes. The kitchen is specially equipped to do all the different styles of Ottoman cooking. Only the freshest ingredients are used in the Ottoman dishes, served to modern diners in this historic Palace setting.

The mezzes was followed by starters of Icli Kofte, a bulgar wheat shell filled with ground meat, Lamb Mince wrapped in Cabbage leaves(Etli Lahana Sarmasi), Pastrami Boregi, stuffed Zucchini flowers and Vineleaves stuffed with rice(Dolma). The fish starters were Trout with Cream cheese, Mussels and Mackerel. It was really an impressive range of food and I loved every bite of it. I really enjoy eating this way, to taste a bit of everything. But I knew I had to save myself for the main course. Oh yes, all of this food was still followed by a main course!

And then my Main course arrived! Testi Kebabi! It is Lamb stew cooked over a fire in a individual claypot. What makes it so impressive is that they come to pop open the lid of the claypot at your table. Now that's a main course served in style…loved it! It is one of those dishes when you see another table order that, you want one too! It is “I want what they are having” moment!

The Ciragan Palace Kempinski has their own Baklava chef. He is from Gaziantep, the land of food and Baklava! This was the best baklava I've ever tasted. It almost melted in my mouth. Again, it was served at the table and these little touches made the meal extra special. Finishing the meal with great coffee and Turkish Delight was the cherry on the top of this already fabulous meal.

With the Bosphorus as the backdrop, Tugra is an exquisite and romantic dining experience. If you want to dine in a Palace, this is definitely the place to come to. You will be treated like Royalty!

Thank you to Lara and Çiler for the special invitation and for spoiling me so fabulously!

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Ciragan Caddesi 32

Besiktas

Istanbul

Hotel Tel: +90 212 326 4646

Tugra Tel: +90 212 236 0733

Tugra reservations: diningreservations.ciraganpalace@kempinski.com

Website: http://www.kempinski.com/istanbul

Twitter: @CPKempinski

Facebook: Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Also See my next post: An interview with Sezai Erdogan, Executive Chef at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski

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April 4th, 2013

Istanbul in a Poem

5 comments / Categories: Books, People of Turkey, Turkey / Tags: Galata bridge, Golden Horn, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Poetry

A fellow blogger inspired me to share this beautiful Turkish poem, that has been translated in English, about Istanbul with you. She also made me realize that my love for poetry hasn't disappeared. Poetry to me are powerful and can stir emotions deep inside. It makes you feel, tastes, hear and see a setting in full colour in your mind and in this poem by Orhan Veli Kanic, it feels like I'm standing in the middle of Istanbul while reading it.

Please read her beautiful post about how a young Turkish student taught her to appreciate the joys and experiences you share with somebody, even if it is just for a short time. Thank you Empty Nest Expat!

www.empty-nest-expat.blogspot.com

I listen to Istanbul

by Orhan Veli Kanic

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed:

At first there is a gentle breeze

And the leaves on the trees

Softly sway;

Out there, far away,

The bells of water-carriers unceasingly ring;