Wine tasting (ok, wine guzzling) is an essential element of our hedonista lifestyle. Together, we survive on in a month what I alone used to earn in a week so we’re rather preoccupied with the cost; prices have been rising due to increased taxation on alcohol. We don’t have a car so we can’t take advantage of the bulk bargains to be had at Metro, the local cash and carry warehouse. Instead we have to make do with what’s on offer in local supermarkets.
We care about the quality (though less so after the second bottle) and quality isn’t necessarily linked to cost. As Brits, we’ve been rather spoilt for choice. Setting aside the small amount of vino produced by English vineyards, all wine in Blighty is shipped in from the four corners of the globe. Generally, this means the quality is reasonable, even at the plonk end of the market. Liam likes a full bodied red. I prefer a crisp white. We’ve found a couple of labels that tickle our taste buds: Sava from Carrefour (the French multi-national) and Beyzade, occasionally from Tansaş. Both sell at around 7 lira (about £2.40 or $1.80) and are very good value. We’re not experts. We don’t do the Jilly Goolden roll, smell and spit routine. We just sup. A lot. I’ll drink to that.
Check out my new book:
Perking the Pansies – Jack and Liam move to Turkey
Perking the Pansies 
How very apt after todays assault on our wine selection !
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Bad head today!
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I, in a previous profession of high class hotel professional, knew a lot about wine, whisky, brandy and fine cigars. Having met many wine and booze snobs, I have come to the conclusion that the best wine is what you enjoy most and that by far the best way to improve a wine is to ensure that the environment is perfect – that is a well ventilated place, with just the right humidity and atmospherics – a balcony in Turkey on a summer evening with good friends, is probably the best environment to improve any wine. If that fails squash some strawberries and mint from the market into the bottom of your glass before filling with inferior chilled white… enjoy.
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What a great tip. We’ll give it a go!
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Try Majestic when on offer MMMigros. But I agree with you – company improves any wine.
Congrats on the book – on per-order and looking forward to reading it. (If only to bring us closer to our beloved Turkey!)
Gerish Pete.
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Thank you. I hope you enjoy it.
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A lot of the wines in Turkey are way over-priced and frankly disappointing. Because we are always on a tight budget I hardly ever buy wine, but on the odd occasion I’ll get a bottle priced around the 7 or 8 lira mark. I make up for it on my trips to the UK and consume a fair amount of brut Cava, my particular favourite. I’ve never found a decent sparkling wine here and can’t find one under about 30 lira.
I agree with Laura too…the company can make the cheapest plonk taste wonderful.
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I love a drop of Cava too. Actually prefer it to Champagne.
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Here’s to sup-ping.
You NEED to come to the Bozcaada sarap festival next June. There are a few Turkish table wines that we like from the 4-5 vineyards on the island (Corvus is newest winery, Talay is one of the oldest, Camlibag another…)…might save the old wallet – especially for the second bottle maneuver. 🙂
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We’ll add it to our 2012 itinerary. We want to get out more next year.
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Like you, we survive on a paltry budget and spend a lot of time looking at the wines on the supermarket shelves – well, we look for a cheap price and then look up to see which wine it is that’s affordable this week. We’ve been on the Beyzade, too! Makes a great mulled wine for when you’re feeling festive.
Julia
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We’re always mixing and matching too which works now that we know which wines to avoid. We made a mistake with one label (can’t remember the name) which tasted like vinegar. Yuk!
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J discovered Sava in Fethiye last year; cheap and drinkable – except now we have to invent excuses (can’t possibly admit it’s for the booze) to go to the big city where we can pick up a couple of cases without adding fuel to the cost. Who’s kidding whom?
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How lucky you are to find decent wine at 7TL. Here the cheapest we find is 10TL and pretty rough (though we still manage to drink it!). We’ll have to wander your way one day.
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Me too. Cheers Big Ears!
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You and Liam have my wine preferences covered. But there’s nothing like Prosecco, Cava and for the most special of occasions (like publishing a book!) Champagne to feel celebratory!
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If you mix 1 part Dikmen to 3 parts Kavak in an extra large wine glass with lots of ice, you can almost call it a rose.
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We’ll give that a go!
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