Did you know that Turkey has some very exciting wines and wine stories to tell and that it's probably flying under your wine radar? Well, in this "Battle" Turkey is against a winning wine from our Australian series - from Queensland of all places, which is likely to be another wine region flying under the average wine drinker's radar. Where else can you see a Queensland wine nominated by a flamboyant Aussie wine expert from rural Kyneton, Victoria against a Turkish wine from Northern Thrace (or is it Eastern Thrace?) nominated by an urbane wine sophisticate in Istanbul? Battle of the Wines, of course! This "Battle" is from the Sauvignon & Semillon category of the competition and the action is fierce but even more friendly than usual. Remember that all judging is blind, the only true test of a wine and our judges are filmed on location across the amazing historic city of Istanbul and in cosmopolitan Sydney. Turgut Tokgöz in the "Nominator" of a little know wine varietal from the ancient wine growing region of Northern Thrace, so ancient that Turkish winemakers are thinking of challenging Georgia to resolve just who did make wine first! Turgut presents his wine in Istanbul and it's a wine produced by Zeynep Arca at Arcadia Vineyards - the Odrysia Gris 2018, a blend of Sauvignon Gris & Pinot Gris. If anyone understands Turkish wine it's Turgut, WSET Certified Educator and President of the Turkish Society of Wine Experts & Educators, and Turgut explains that Turkey was a cradle of the wine world with an emerging and energetic wine industry. Publican and hospitality legend fabulous Frank Moylan brings to "Battle" the Ballandean Estate SSB 2019, Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc - produced by winemaker Dylan Rhymer in the sometimes chilly Granite Belt micro-climate in Queensland. Frank and his highly creative partner Melissa operate the Royal George Hotel in Kyneton, with stunning interiors, food and drinks spaces. It has to be seen to be believed! We break into the all important judging with a half time show featuring Zeynep Arca giving us some wine education on the Thracian wine region, which is complex with parts of modern day Thrace also in Bulgaria and Greece. This is a long history she and her team have revived and the focus here is what food pairings go with Sauvignon Gris. We see the food that is grown on the same terroir as the grapes, sourced from sustainably maintained gardens and free range animals. Arcadia Vineyards has a superb hotel with a very special restaurant where wine and food pairings are presented in style, with seasonal pairings a major highlight. Check out the home made pasta with local summer truffles! Battle of the Wines took its initial inspiration from a 1224 poem La Bataille des Vins (Battle of the Wines) by 13th century Norman poet Henry d’Andeli. It tells the story of the first famous wine competition organised by the French King Philip Augustus, which drew over 70 wine samples mostly from northern and central France but some from as far away as Spain and Cyprus. Probably to the surprise of many, a sweet Cypriot wine widely believed to be an antecedent of modern Commandaria wines was the winner. Let's see what surprise results emerge as the competition progresses! 0:00 Start 1:20 Meet Frank Moylan 2:00 Meet Turgut Tokgöz 4:39 The "Battle" card 10:39 Half time with Arcadia Vineyards winemaker Zeynep Arca Insta: https: battleofthewines Facebook: @battlewines 👉 Discover the next competitors in "Battle" 7: Turkey v France!! https://youtu.be/ka5EjTMIlqw

• published: 01 Jul 2021
• views: 2791