On a recent trip, I flew Turkish Airlines to Africa via Istanbul. Turkish Airlines became my favorite airline for a few reasons:
- There was no additional cost to spend the weekend in Istanbul
- Economy class treatment is comparable to business class on an American airline (goodie bags with eye masks, ear plugs, toothbrush, socks, and lip balm)
- Most importantly, the food and wine were amazing…I have never had airline food that was enjoyable to eat
In fact, the wine was so delicious (not to mention free flowing) that I took a picture of
I snapped a picture of the wine bottle for easy searching upon landing : )
the bottle so I could easily search for it when I got back to NYC. Kavaklidere was the name on the bottle. I originally thought this was the name of the grape, however it turns out to be the name of the winery.
The variety of this wine is Yakut; it’s light, with a little tanginess -sour cherry maybe- and reminds me of a Beaujolais. According to the winery’s website it’s considered the favorite wine of Turkey and has won several prestigious awards including:
- Vinalies Internationales 2011, Silver
- Vinalies Internationales 2006, Silver
- International Wine and Spirits Competition 2005, Bronze
- San Francisco Wine Competition 2010, Bronze
- Decanter 2010, Commended
- International Wine Challenge 2010, Commended
- Decanter 2008, Commended
Want to try Turkish wine for yourself and see how it stacks up? If you are close to NYC head to my favorite Turkish restaurant in NYC, Beyoglu, on the Upper East side for a glass (order the Borek as an appetizer). You can also visit Astor Wines to pick up a bottle.
Outside of NYC? You can order bottle online for about $9.99 from Westchester Wine Warehouse.