Wine and Food of Formula 1: 7th Race – Istanbul, Turkey

East Meets West at the Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul

This is the seventh in the series of articles to help provide a taste of the world of Formula One for those new to it and for those that have been fans all their lives.  It is about the racing venue cities, travel info, a bit of history, culture, with wine and food information to wet your appetite to travel to the countries covered. Perhaps take a liking to Formula One racing, pick up some knowledge of the area’s wine and food, and hopefully learn something new. All articles are in the same order (with the exception of this one about Memorial Day racing added): recap and stats of prior race, opinion and news on upcoming race, overview of history, culture, economy, and travel information of country/city racing venue is in. This will be followed by the wine and food of the country/city the race is held.

Memorial Day an Auto Racing Fan’s Utopia 

East meets West Barbecue

This weekend will make any auto racing fan die of over exhaustion, at least here in the United States! The Turkish Grand Prix (Formula 1) starts it all off on Sunday morning, very early if you want to see it live in the US, around 8:00 am EDT.  Several hours later it is off to the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (built in 1909) at 1:00 pm EDT. When the Indy 500 ends, about two hours later, is NASCAR’s sprint series the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina around 5:45 pm EDT. Both the Indy 500 and the Charlotte 600 are raced on ovals, yes they go round and round, with speeds often exceeding Formula 1 because of it. Several race car drivers in the past have attempted to race in the Indy 500 and then take the helicopter straight to Charlotte to race in both – a hearty and brave group. The F1 race is a road course with all the peaks and valleys, twists and turns that you can imagine and therefore the speed is a bit slower, but not less exciting. After the races, bring out the barbecue for hamburgers, hot dogs, potato and pasta salads, barbecue beans or chili, chicken, ribs, pizza, wine, beer, etc. – it must be Memorial Day weekend in America!!

More importantly, it is a special time to remember our troops that have died in wars past and honor those that will not be home this weekend that are still fighting in far away lands.

I write about the wine and food lifestyle, this does not mean that I am a recipe writer however! Below is a nice site for some Memorial Day weekend recipes and planning.

AllRecipes.com Memorial Day Recipes and Planning 

Recap and Thoughts of Last Race: Monaco

(link to Monaco Grand Prix Article)

1st Place - Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault. There he goes again! Started race from the Pole and led the race from start to finish and at times with some of the fastest laps of the day. This is Webber’s second win for this season and his fourth career victory. He ties for first place, with his teammate Sebastian Vettel, for the World Driver’s Championship with 78 points.

2nd - Sebastian Vettel (Germany) for Red Bull Renault. He started in third position, but there would be no stopping him from taking second to finish. He now ties Mark Webber for first place for the World Driver’s Championship with 78 points.

3rd Place – Robert Kubica (Poland) for Renault. He started in 2nd position in the first row. He is now in 6th place (tied with Lewis Hamilton) for the World Driver’s Championship with 59 points. This is Kubica’s second podium finish of the season as he came in second in Australia.

This was the second 1-2 finish for the Red Bull Renault team for the season (the first was in Malaysia). This team has either sat on pole position or in second position on the first row for the start of every race this season so far. The teammates and team have shared the podium now three times for the season. I would say they are currently dominating the other teams and drivers; however, there are thirteen races left so it is still too early.

This race is also a shout out to Renault engines, although different teams, all three podium finishes were with Renault engines.

The race started well with Webber taking the lead from his pole position with his teammate, Sebastian Vettel starting in 3^rd passing Robert Kubica who starting in second. Then during the first lap the yellow flag came out and safety car on the track as there was a single car crash on the exit of the tunnel by Nico Hulkenberg in his Williams. Looked pretty nasty, but he was fine, the car though was not and he was out of the race. During this time, Fernando Alonso pitted for new tires, which would end up being a very good move by Ferrari.

While the safety car was still out, on lap 3, Jenson Button, last year’s World Driver’s Champion and Monaco GP winner, had smoke coming out of his car in what appeared to be a blown engine, I am not a mechanic however. He was out of the race after this. There was some talk that a mechanic for the McLaren team left “something” inside the car that should have been taken out prior to the race causing the engine to overheat. If that is the case, “although these things happen” that crew member will have a very long trip home in silence with the team I bet!

The safety car was out to the 6^th lap. From this lap through about the 29^th lap, Alonso was doing some great driving. As I put in my last article on Monaco, under the starting positions, I said that Alonso had an accident in early morning practice and did not make the qualification rounds and therefore started the race in 24^th position, the very last position. He systematically maneuvered his way up to sixth, in my opinion, brilliantly. He also pitted early under safety for new tires that would take him through the end of the race.

Around the 31^st lap the safety car came back on the track again. Rubens Barrichello had a single car incident and crashed into a wall and had his car turnaround practically in the middle of the course. It appeared the car went over something but was hard to tell. However, after the safety car left the track at about lap 34, the safety car came back on again at lap 43. It turns out that there was a loose drain cover on the road that could have caused the Barrichello crash, but they corrected it as the safety car went back in. On lap 74, only two laps before the end of the race, there was another terrifying incident. Jarno Trulli’s Lotus went over the car driven by Karun Chandhok with the HRT team. Chandhok was holding his head, but appeared to be alright thankfully. Both cars were taken out, but this incident caused the safety car out again up to right before the end of the race at lap 78.

As the safety car pulled in, and it was not clear if it was still under safety and/or yellow flag conditions, some teams thought that they were still under safety while others did not. This is important because something happened toward the finish line when Michael Schumacher, who was in seventh place, passed Alonso for sixth position. Schumacher’s team Mercedes GP either gave Schumacher the green light to pass or chose to do so on his own, it was not clear.  Under safety rules, a car is not allowed to pass another car on the final lap and all cars must maintain their positions, but was it in safety or was Alonso over the safety car line before Schumacher passed him?

Well, as of this writing after the race, the stewards have penalized Schumacher and the Mercedes GP team by adding time and pushing Schumacher from seventh (or would that be sixth?) to 12^th. This also caused Schumacher and his team valuable championship points as well. However, it is still not over, as of this writing, as the Mercedes GP team plan to appeal the decision. Right now you have Mercedes vs. Ferrari as far as differences of opinion on the rules. Ferrari thought that it was still under safety and therefore told their drivers not to pass. Mercedes on the other hand, believe that the race was once again active after the safety car pulled in. The question is, was there a yellow or green light at the end of the race or is it more complex than that, under the hundreds of pages of rules and regs? Ross Brawn, the Mercedes team boss and longtime friend and associate of Schumacher, believes he is correct. The F1 circuit can be a bit of a soap opera at times as most of its characters have a history. In this case, one of the four stewards is former race car driver Damon Hill. There is no love lost between these two since 1994 when there was a collision between the two that caused Hill to lose championship points and ultimately made Schumacher World Champion Driver that year. Alonso and Schumacher also have a history and no love loss there either from an incident in Monaco during qualifying, of which Schumacher was penalized. 

Mercedes GP had 48 hours to lodge their appeal and they decided to not appeal the steward’s decision at this time for what they say is the good of racing, whatever that means! The good of racing is doing the right thing no matter what. Damon Hill, Schumacher’s long time nemesis and was one of the stewards, was receiving death threats if you want to believe that. It appears to be a rather nasty situation no matter what side is right. So with that, maybe it was best to let the decision stay. There are still some out there that are saying it is not quite over yet. Now, it appears that the FIA (the governing body) plans to change the rules as they say it is confusing!! Say what? Then why not reverse the 20 sec penalty on Schumacher and his team, if they now claim it could have been a mistake? This penalty took away championship points as well and they hardly gave a slap on the wrist at an earlier race when Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel made some dangerous moves in pit lane that could have harmed or killed someone. Do not think we should all hold our breath for a reversal on the Schumacher decision to happen, do not think so — we will see.

All in all Monaco did not disappoint. It was a great race, not the fastest, but certainly exciting and full of intrigue — as usual. 

The Driver’s Championship after six races (the highest point leader at the end of the season wins the FIA World Driver’s Championship):

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are tied and leading with – 78 points, Fernando Alonso – 75 points, Jenson Button – 70 points, Felipe Massa – 61 points, Robert Kubica and Lewis Hamilton are tied with – 59 points, Nico Rosberg – 56 points, Michael Schumacher – 22 points, Adrian Sutil – 20 points, Vitantonio Liuzzi – 10 points, Rubens Barrichello – 7 points, Vitaly Petrov – 6 points, Jamie Alguersuari – 3 points, Nico Hulkenberg – 1 point, and Sebastien Buemi – 1 point.

For the Constructor’s Championship after six races (same as drivers most points at end of season wins):

Red Bull Racing Renault leads with – 156 points, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro – 136 points, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – 129 points, Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team – 78 points, Renault F1 Team – 65 points, Force India F1 Team Mercedes – 30 points, AT&T Williams Cosworth – 8 points, and Scuderia Torro Rosso Ferrari – 4 points.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

The Race 

2010 Turkish GP Practice_Courtesy of Williams-Cosworth Team

The Turkish Grand Prix will be held at Istanbul Park, located right outside of the city. It has a seating capacity of 130,000 spectators. The race will be a 58 lap race with different elevations, 14 turns with several twists and curves, but also has two of the fastest straights with cars reaching over 330 km per hour. The track also runs counter clockwise. Speaking of turns, it has a very difficult multi-apex at turn eight that all the drivers find the most challenging of any racing circuit.

This circuit does not seem to attract many from Turkey however and is the least attended of the races. The drivers however, as mentioned, find it challenging. However, when Turkey’s contract is up, perhaps the FIA should consider a new location or find out what the problem is with marketing efforts there. It is the economy of course, it has been problematic for most circuits, but with this venue it had a great first year and has been dropping off every year since regardless of the economy and unemployment figures. Spain has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, but the race there was still well attended.

This is a very tight championship race and this makes for great racing as all of these drivers live on the competition. Last year’s race was won by Jenson Button when he was with Brawn-Mercedes, and the dynamic duo of this season so far, Mark Webber coming in second and Sebastian Vettel coming in third for Red Bull Renault. The lap record is still held by JP Montoya.

NOTES:

 1.     FORMULA ONE RACING COMES TO THE USA!! Austin, Texas is building a new state of the art facility for Formula One Grand Prix racing to start up in 2012 season. This has been a long time coming. Formula One has the highest audience worldwide of any auto race however, here in the United States it has trailed because of several factors. Most notably, no races held here, no American personalities in teams or as drivers, the start times of most races are very early in the morning to catch them live from other countries. It is also a bit more difficult for even those in attendance to watch as they do not race on ovals predominately, they instead race on road tracks several miles long. With more state of the art facilities, viewing the sport is much easier. Now, perhaps we can have a couple of American drivers or at least an American team to route for too. Perhaps Danica Patrick??? Just wishful thinking, she would bring a whole other market into F1 that is for sure. There will also be three other women racing with her and the boys at the Indy 500, so we could see another woman race F1 at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later. There are major differences though in how the NASCAR and Indy type cars are put together both mechanically and aerodynamically, so she might not be ready yet, so this is another we will see. I think F1 will be back to its glory days here in the states. I am certainly ready!

2.     Rumors were circulating again that upstate New York was expressing an interest in hosting an F1 race, only 90 minutes from New York City, as early as the 2011 season. As of this writing, I do not have it confirmed if this is now off the table with the Austin, Texas announcement for 2012.

3.     With Bridgestone tires perhaps pulling out from Formula One, this has opened the door to other possibilities. For one, Michelin brought up an idea for F1 to go from their 13” rim tires to 18”. Now this is good and bad. The teams will have to redesign their cars for this which will cost them a pretty penny. In these economic times, it is hard to see what impact this could have. However, this will also bring the cars more into line with consumer cars and this would mean more tire companies would advertise as well. This new tire vendor could be announced by the next race or longer. At this time, it is hard to say if Bridgestone would be interested again in if F1 moves to make the rims wider, more in tune to what consumers would order, or not. Tire manufacturers interested so far are: Pirelli, Michelin, and Cooper Avon, and perhaps Bridgestone if the rim redesign is implemented.

Friday, May 28, 2010 – Practice. Will be televised practice runs for the teams and drivers. Practice runs are mainly to fine tune the cars and drivers by testing the track, crew, and the cars. If in the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 4:00 a.m. PDT/7:00 am EDT. 

Saturday, May 29, 2010 – Qualifying. Will be qualifying for the starting grid for the race. This will determine pole position (inside 1st row) in the final round. The starting grid this year will have twelve rows of two cars each. There are three qualifying rounds. The first round eliminates seven drivers/teams from moving forward to the next round. The second qualifying round will do the same, taking out the bottom seven drivers/teams, leaving the fastest ten. The third and final qualifying round will take the final ten drivers/teams and will determine the first five rows of the starting grid. It is a little more complicated than just fastest lap speed and there are situations where it is possible that a driver with a faster lap could end up in the back seven rows. In the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 4:30 am PDT/7:30 am EDT.

STARTING GRID – 1st Five Rows Only After Qualifications:

1st Row: Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault, Pole Position and Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes

2nd Row: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) for Red Bull Renault and Jenson Button (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes

3rd Row: Michael Schumacher (Germany) for Mercedes GP and Nico Rosberg (Germany) for Mercedes GP

4th Row:  Robert Kubica (Poland) for Renault and Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari

5th Row: Vitaly Petrov (Russia) for for Renault and Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) for Sauber F1 

NOTE: Fernando Alonso for Ferrari did not make the final qualification heat, he will start in the middle of the pack. 

Webber has another pole position, he won the last race in Monaco from Pole and has won twice this season. Also, this will mark the 7th race in a row where his team Red Bull Renault has started from the first row.  

Sunday, May 30, 2010 – RACE DAY. In the US, Speed Channel will cover this live at 4:30 am PDT/7:30 am EDT for the pre-race.

Updated 5/30/2010 11:14 a.m. Race Results:

1st Place – Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes. This is Hamilton’s first win of the season and his third podium finish.

 2nd – Jenson Button (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes. This is Button’s third podium finish.

3rd Place – Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault. This was Webber’s 4^th podium finish, his 4^th start from pole, and his 6^th start from 1^st row – more than any other driver. This was a bad day for Webber although none of us, including him, could say that he would have won for sure, but his teammate Sebastian Vettel tried to pass him mid race and crashed into Webber. Webber maintained composure, but was then put into third. Vettel “retired” from the race. See more in updated Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season link below.   

You should go to the special page I set up called Formula 1: Intro, Wine, and Food for more detailed information on F1, race schedule, Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season (updated 5/30/10),  2010 Formula 1 World Championship Standings (updated 5/30/10), links to all teams, drivers, racing circuits, and organizations that have websites to further your knowledge and enjoyment of the sport. You will also find a real-time television schedule of air time for the races on Speed Channel. This page will supplement the individual articles that I write and will also serve as an archive when the racing season ends and for the series of articles.

NEXT UP: Canadian Grand Prix on June 13, 2010 (race day). My article will be published on or before June 12, 2010.

Below please find a playlist of three videos found on YouTube that I though you would enjoy on the Turkish Grand Prix: Course Simulator with Red Bull Renault Driver Mark Webber and a Tribute to Lost F1 Drivers:

A Brief Background on History, Culture, Customs

Often referred to under its original and Greek name Anatolia, Turkey has a long, vast and complex history. Mount Ararat is where it is said that Noah’s Ark landed in the eastern side of the country and is home to the oldest known place of worship, the temple called Gobekli Tepe. The Early Stone Age (Paleolithic Age) was said to begin around an estimated 500,000 or 600,000 B.C./BCE, the Mid Stone Age (Mesolithic Age) around 10,000 B.C./B.C.E., its Late Stone Age (Neolithic Age) around 8,000 B.C./B.C.E., the Copper/Metal Age (Chalcolithic Age) around 5,500 B.C./B.C.E., and its Bronze Age an estimated 3,000 to 2,000 B.C./B.C.E. Both before and after Alexander the Great’s conquest, it had many civilizations, kingdoms, principalities, periods, and ages from 2,000 B.C./B.C.E. – 1923 A.D./such as: Hatti, Troy (Trojans), Hittite, Hurri, Urartu, Phrygia, Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Ionian, Persian Conquest, The Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age, Hellenistic and Roman Age, Byzantine, Seljuk, and finally the Ottoman Empire from est. 1299 – 1923 A.D./  All these had a profound affect on what would become modern Turkey from political, religious, cultural perspectives. 

The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) The National Mosque of Turkey

Modern Turkey (aka: The Turkish Republic or The Republic of Turkey) was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership and authoritarian rule of Mustafa Kemal (aka: Father of the Turks or Ataturk). Through his rule, Turkey developed social, political, legal, and other reforms. Since then, it has seen various forms of government including democracy and military coups. In 1997, it was an Islamic-oriented government before being overthrown. The government has been involved in many militarily actions, including in 1974 an attempt by the Greek government to takeover the island of Cyprus and has since been known as “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” a title that no other world leader recognizes. In 1984 then known as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the People’s Congress of Kurdistan killed more than 30,000 people. This group now mainly operates out of Iraq. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. It currently sits on the UN Security Council and is an associate member of the European Community. Its form of government is currently republican parliamentary democracy.

Turkey is about the size of Texas but covers a lot of geographically defined areas. It is in the Middle East, although a section of it, at least geographically, west of Bosporus is considered part of Europe. It covers Southeastern Europe and Southwest Asia bordering the Black Sea to the north and Mediterranean Sea to the south with Cyprus south of that. The eastern side of Turkey borders Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia, and Georgia. Its western side borders Greece and Bulgaria. Its natural resources are: hydropower, pumice, perlite, marble, limestone, borate, magnesite, gold, mercury, coal, copper, iron ore, chromium, barite, antimony, celestite, emery, feldspar, sulfur, clay, and arable land.

Turkey has an estimated 77,800,000 people with a median age of 28.1 years of age. Turkey’s capital is its second largest city, Ankara.  Over 99% of the population considers itself Muslim, mainly Sunni, with 70%+ being Turkish, 18% Kurdish, and the rest “other”. This official language is Turkish, although Kurdish is also spoken along with a few other languages.

Its GDP in purchasing parity is an estimated $863.3 billion. Turkey’s economy has had its rough patches over the years, mainly because of the various economic and financial systems put in place, by its government. It had a boom if you will in the early to mid 2000’s from investors seeking out emerging markets. But as of late, it is suffering, like most countries, in this current economic climate. Tourism is very important to Turkey and does what it can to encourage travel there. As it is a Muslim country, like many mentioned in other articles, it is important to follow their customs and traditions. Because of its proximity to many political hotbeds in the Middle East, it is important to check with your travel agent and government agencies before any travel there and for guidelines of their cultural and religious customs.

The following links will provide with more information about modern Turkey and places to see and go if planning a trip to Turkey.

Turkey Tourism Office            

Go Turkey              

Istanbul 

Istanbul Water Edge Cafes

Istanbul is one of the world’s oldest civilizations going back some 300,000 years. It is historically called Byzantium and Constantinople. Istanbul is in Northwest Turkey between the Black Sea and Marmara Sea near Bulgaria and Greece. It is Turkey’s largest city with an estimated population of close to 13 million people and is capital of the Istanbul Province that connects Asia and Europe. Many say that it is in the top 10 largest cities in the world (with many saying it is the 5^th largest city in the world). Istanbul is Turkey’s financial, trade, business, tourism, and cultural center.

It is filled with exciting things to do and see culturally and historically, with lots of entertainment, sports, concerts, parks, museums, architecture, restaurants galore, nightlife, among other things. Unlike many Muslim countries covered as part of this series, it is a bit more liberal in that you will find many restaurants serving alcohol and staying open during religious holidays. There are several districts in Istanbul that has something for all. For one the Akaretler shopping district is very cosmopolitan and filled with top fashion houses, restaurants, cafes, many housed in historical buildings that have been modernized going back to the 18^th century under the Ottoman rule. The Grand Bazaar located in Old Town/Istanbul (aka: the Sultanahmet area) is a favorite tourist destination. It is actually next to modern shopping malls and it houses thousands of small shops under one ornate roof and outside with about 60+ alleys that have made people feel like they were in a maze. From textiles, herbs and spices, Turkish carpets, clothing, shoes, jewelry, dishes and ceramics, imports, leather products, among other things for sale and has a few place to get a bite to eat or have a drink.

Cagaloglu Hamam. The city’s oldest bath house is also located in the Sultanahmet area and if you go there, many tourists experience a Turkish Bath. They are a dying breed, giving way to modern bathing, but are still very unique and worth a go at it if not faint hearted. There are about 50-60 still registered in the city and is a mixture of steam room, deep tissue massage (you will more than likely need a massage after that and perhaps a pain killer too) along with the bath given by a person with a lot of skill in the art and that would truly have to love their job. You should ask your hotel, for a recommendation as they are not all alike.  

Haggling (I prefer to say negotiating!) can be fun and successful if you are good at it. In fact haggling is a pastime and is the way you conduct business in many establishments, including some cafes and restaurants. My father’s side of the family would have made a killing there and would have been quite comfortable at it, unlike my Mother’s side that was always too proper to haggle — they would have been ripped off the moment they got off the plane! Be careful though, many parts of Istanbul make New York look like a babe in the woods when it comes to pick pocketing. For most part, it is no different than most major cities.

Nightlife and Restaurants (see Food below for more info on cuisine) – Istanbul is where East meets West along the Bosphorus that acts as a bridge between Asia and Europe. Along the Bosphorus (aka: the Istanbul Strait), you will find many things to do along its banks, especially if you are a night owl and like the trendy spots to go. It is filled with numerous clubs and bars, most all with outside terraces with fantastic views. Another more traditional area known for its nightlife is the Cicek Pasaj district. The Old Town/Sultanahmet area has its restaurants and cafes, from inexpensive to expensive, from fast food to fine dining, and most any type of cuisine can be found there, but Turkish fare is relatively slim, again because it caters to foreign tourists, I guess. Prices though tend to be higher than other areas and not necessarily for better food, but because of the tourists that frequent this part of the city. The Beyoglu / Taksim area has a bit more fine dining and from moderate to expensive restaurants, with a few being in hotels with romantic terrace dining. Downtown will also run the gamut of food styles and price ranges. The Greater Istanbul area, like Beyoglu / Taksim, has a few more moderate to expensive dining choices. There are of course other neighborhoods in Turkey with plenty of dining options.

Below, please find a link to a Turkish restaurant reservation service (no, I am not tied to them in any way, just thought they provided the most information for you), however they provide the web addresses to many of the restaurants, they do not provide a direct link to them so you can pull up menus and prices – have to do it the old fashioned way, cut and paste!

Rezztoran.com

The Wine

Outside of Turkey, its wine sector is not that well known and that is a shame.

1.     Wine goes back 4,000 years (some say more than 6,000 years) in what is now known as Turkey

2.     Many believe that Turkey is the birthplace of wine, not Georgia like previously thought.

3.     Many of its provinces have soil perfect for viniculture.

4.     A majority the wineries are family and/or privately owned.

5.     Turkey is the fourth largest grape producer in the world, however only a small percentage, under 5%, is reserved for wine, making it part of the bottom in the world for wine production. The grapes predominately are used for raisins and for fruit.

6.     Wine grape production is mainly in the regions of Elazig, Thrace, Ankara, Manisa, Marmara, Denizli, Izmir, Cappadocia, Tokat, and Diyarbakir.

7.     Wine regions of Turkey are Marmara and Aegean to the west; Central Anatolia and the Black Sea to the north; Mediterranean to the south; Southeastern Anatolia; and Easter Anatolia.

8.     Among the red grape varieties found in Turkey are: Okuzgozu, Kalecik Karasi, Bogazkere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Cinsault, Gamay Cal Karasi.

9.     Some of the white wine grapes often used are: Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Sultaniye, Emir, Narince, Vasilaki, Bornova Misketi, Carignan, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Alicante.

10. Wines made are fortified, dry table wines, sparkling, sweet dessert, and brandy, Tatlisert a fortified wine similar to port, among others.

Unfortunately for the wineries in Turkey, they are taxed, then taxed, then taxed again, oh and then a value added tax just for good measure. This makes it impossible, in my opinion, for the wine industry there to be competitive. Starting in 2002 a special consumption tax was implemented, with figures from 2008, at a whopping 63% for fresh grape wine and 275% for sparkling wines, then add an 18% Value Added Tax to that! The government came under such pressure that it did abolish this tax in 2010 however, they have implemented new ones. Talk about mark-up needed to make a profit. The Young Turks, if you will, do appreciate fine wine but most like the imports not their native produced wines and that is a shame. To some, Turkish wine has a long way to go to compete in the worldwide market. I say, that like any wine region, it has potential if given the tools they need to produce world class wines. I personally had a Turkish wine from the Kayra Winery, in the Diyarbakir region, called the Vintage Series when I was in Barbados of all places. It was a Cabernet Sauvignon, Bogazkere, and Merlot blend. I have to say, it was not bad. It was a bold tasty wine that overpowered a sandwich I was having for lunch but, it would go well with some Turkish lamb sis kebabs very nicely however.

Needless to say, wine in Turkey is very expensive because of the taxes imposed. The industry is relying on retail stores, restaurants, and the hotel industry to help with the tourist trade. Many are offering Turkish wines, but they are near the price of well known and excellent imported wine, so what would you choose? I think this is problematic, but one that could be turned around with a government a bit more understanding of this industry. Many wines have won international awards, a signal of their tenacity to overcome taxes and regulations. However it is still an Islamic country and many of the residents comply with the no drinking of alcoholic beverages fundamentals of their faith and many still like other beverages better (see below). So, hopefully we will see more Turkish wine in the United States and elsewhere, the world wants variety and the Turkish wine trade deserves to grow.

In the meantime, clandestine street sales of Turkish wine (imported wines as well) are a force to be reckoned with as they are making the bucks and they go without paying taxes. I liken it to the underground trade in the United States, the unlicensed contractor. While the licensed contractors must pay taxes, carry worker’s compensation and liability insurance, be bonded, study and take tests for the licenses and continuing education, these unlicensed contractors, acting illegally, come in with the cheap bids and often shoddy work and carry very little risk. This black market needs to be looked at a bit more seriously than it has been. The Turkish wine industry needs a chance to grow and make money to perfect and market their product without undo competition and a government that taxes them to oblivion.

A few Turkish wineries that I found that had websites and in English are the following:

Kavaklidere (in Ankara-Akyurt, Cappadocia, and other areas)

Doluca (in Tekirdag)

Sarafin (most of its wine is made at Doluca facilities above)

Buyulubag Winery & Vineyards (in Marmara)

Idol (in Izmir)

Kocabag Saraplari (in Cappadocia)

Sevilen (in Izmir)

Raki

There is one drink that is favored in Turkey over anything else and that is Raki. This drink is actually liked throughout the Middle East and is known by different names. It is made of different fruits, depending on location, most notably grapes like wine and made with anise, its main ingredient. It is a distilled alcoholic drink. It is usually clear in color and will change to a milky white color when water is poured into it, which is the traditional way of serving Raki. It has a pleasant taste, depending on where you have it and with what, but is often served as an aperitif with white cheeses from the area or cold dishes such as salads, fruits and vegetables and also a favorite, roasted chickpeas and almonds.

The Food

The Sultans of the Ottoman rule were very much into the finer things in life and especially the food. At the Topkapi Palace (the Imperial Palace), they brought in the best chefs, kitchen equipment and appliances, and hundreds of specialty cooks in breads, candy, beverages, kebabs, pilafs, soup, pastry, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, to name a few areas of expertise that fed around ten thousand people a day. Most of the kitchen staff lived at the Palace. The cuisine that began there is at the root of what is known as the Palace Cuisine and is the basis of a lot of the traditional Turkish food enjoyed today.

Because Turkey is a bridge of the Far East and the Mediterranean, its cuisine is quite unique. Its cuisine is regional and can find a dish that is called something in one region but be much different in style and ingredients in another region. Chefs are also very good at what they do there in using traditional styles and fusion to come up with dishes that are inspiring and very good. You will find a lot of lamb and mutton dishes, but beef and chicken are also used in many dishes. You will not find much pork in Turkey because of the Islamic dietary laws, similar to the Jewish Kosher restrictions that are followed by the majority of Turks. Some hotels and restaurants that are not owned by an observant Muslim will have some pork dishes, but pork overall is not that easily found on many menus. When dining out soup is often served as the first course.

Seafood is not only in abundance near the Mediterranean regions, but throughout Turkey, although it is regionally defined for most part. What you will find are a lot of flavorful vegetable dishes, most vegans will be happy campers in Turkey.  Most dishes are roasted or grilled and you will also find some wonderful baked bread (usually from wheat flour) throughout Turkey and with every meal, sometimes served with honey. In fact, you will find honey used at times for sugar, in place of butter or oil, in cooking at some cafes or restaurants. Mouthwatering fruits are also in ready supply along with a multitude of juices. Olive oil, like in other areas of the Mediterranean is in most everything as are herbs and spices that can be found in bazaars and markets throughout Turkey. They also have a few yogurt and pudding shops throughout Turkey providing various types of milk puddings and fruit yogurts. Some have these for breakfast, snacks, a “fast food”, or anytime.

Turkish Coffee. Coffee is called Kahve in Turkey. It is recognized worldwide for its robust taste and flavor. It is definitely an eye opener in the morning and you will feel the affects of its caffeine for a good part of the day. However in Turkey, it is not often something you have with breakfast or any other meal. Turkey’s coffee houses actually have some decaf available if you ask for it. Sugar is rarely used, but is available if you ask for it too. Ground to a fine powder from the Arabic bean, cardamom is often added to the ground. This coffee has various degrees of taste from very sweet to the strongest almost thick black. Turkish coffee and most coffee is considered an adult drink to enjoy. There is also a bit of a ritual after the coffee is finished in that some Turks read the grinds left in the cup to tell them of their future (sounds a lot like reading the tea leaves to me!).  For more information on Turkish coffee follow the link above.

Turkish Tea (çay or CHAH-yee). Despite the reputation of Turkish coffee in the United States and elsewhere, it is actually the tea that a slightly favored in Turkey. It actually has as much as or more caffeine than the coffee, although you will find several herbed teas and a very nice apple (or other fruit) teas if your doctor is telling you to lay off the caffeine. Most are served in coffee houses, but many have their own shops where the serving of it is a ritualistic art. The tea houses and gardens are everywhere, in parks, museums, shopping centers, office buildings, everywhere! The traditional Turkish Tea is a black tea, prepared in an infused double boiler and then served most often in special clear glass cups (shaped a bit like an hourglass) to show off its unique reddish color. Ladies that do tea are found in most tea houses and gardens and they do have their equivalent of high tea, served with finger sandwiches, cakes, and other sweets and Borek (see below). I have had a Turkish tea in the past and it is a very tasty and fulfilling tea. As I have a bit of British in me, I tend to have my tea with a bit of cream or honey, this is not the way you would want to do it in Turkey (but let’s say it is very good with a bit of honey too and leave it at that!). Suppose you can also call it organic tea, as there are no chemicals or additives added. The oldest tea production company in Turkey is in Rize back in the mid 60s, now most all the tea plantations are located in the eastern regions of the Black Sea, in Karadere, Arkali, and Fasta.

Below are a few favorite dishes in Turkey (again, these are basic dishes that can have variances from chef to chef, region, the dining establishment you have these at, or if they are cooked at home vs. a restaurant):

Borek. Talk about multi purpose. This is a Phyllo encrusted pastry. Its fillings can run from spinach, meats, vegetables, fruits, herbs, chicken, cheese, and the like and depending on time of day or region, you will find it at breakfast, lunch, dinner, as a snack or appetizer, or a dessert.

Cabbage Dolma (Dolma means stuffed). Rice, currants, spices, herbs, and nuts (usually pine) sautéed and then wrapped tightly in cabbage leaves.

Coban Salatasi (Sheperd’s Salad). Is a salad that is usually served on the side of the main dish or before the main course. Made with olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing, tossed in with cucumber, parsley, onion, and tomato.

Susamlil Cubuk (Sesame Sticks). These are fantastic as a snack. I have had them served warm with dips/humus or plain or they can be cold and crispy like a bread stick in the United States and elsewhere.

Humus.  Mashed chick peas, herbs, some garlic or other seasoning, olive oil can be used as the base.

Sis Kebap (Shish Kabob). Sis/Shish means skewer and Kebap/Kabob (Kebab is also used) means grilled meat or grilled meat and vegetables. Any meat can be used and some restaurants use fish as well. On the skewer the grilled ingredients are layered in any combination of meat, bell pepper, onion, tomato (or other vegetables) depending on how long the skewer is, this can be repeated. These are found in the best of restaurants, cafes, coffee and tea houses, sold by street vendors, in bazaars, well basically everywhere in various forms and quality. Served over rice or with rice pilaf in particular for dining, served just as a fast food on a stick elsewhere.

Musakka. This is a type of a lasagna dish usually vegetables only or with a beef and layered with cheeses, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and other ingredients to ones liking, with a white sauce on top and then baked. This uses eggplant in place of pasta.

Rice Pilaf. This is one of my favorite rice dishes. It can take various forms, but the basic is long grain rice (Basmati works best), slivered almonds, very thin shortened noodles, in a chicken stock. I have seen rice pilafs with vegetables as well like a touch of onion or carrots. The rice can often be light in color, but to get the more familiar darkened appearance the use of herbs and spices or even onion that has been grilled and slightly burnt does the job. A more modern technique is to just use a brown rice.

I am providing, as additional reference material for you, an excellent site with a full background of Turkish food and provide excellent and authentic recipes. Please click the following link Turkish Cultural Foundation. There you will find much more information on Turkey’s culture, music, festivals, people, and much more. Once you reach the site go to the Turkish Cuisine Portal.

Below please find a video play list about Istanbul and Turkey. Their cuisine, culture, food, and wine that I pulled together from YouTube:

Cheers then Enjoy!

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