The Color of Passion: Red and White

My passion for red and white began when we ended our working lives and settled in Tekirdağ/Şarköy in 2022.

As you know, this region is renowned for its wine grape vineyards and, consequently, its wines. However, I had always kept my distance from wines. This distance was so great that my last memory of wine was from my high school years (1985-1987) when I tried it and found it had a terrible taste, and it also gave me a severe headache.

From that time until 2023, I don't recall having wine again. When August 2023 arrived, my wife Selma learned that our friends in Şarköy were making homemade wine. She told them she wanted to make wine too and wanted to be involved in the winemaking process. As for me, since I didn't really like wine - well, back then anyway :) - I remained distant.

By the way, we didn't know how to make wine; it would be made with our friends' knowledge and guidance. When my wife, who loves wine, suggested we make wine from 100 kg of grapes, I said let's make it from 50 kg, I don't drink much wine anyway. Then, on September 11, 2023, we found ourselves picking grapes in the vineyard. While harvesting the grapes, my hands had turned blood red. As you know, red-colored fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants. Considering this aspect, I told my wife let's harvest not 50 but 100 kg of grapes, which was the amount she wanted to pick in the first place.

In short, the grapes were harvested, sorted one by one, and crushed. We made our wine by following the steps I'll explain in my next article. However, this first attempt was filled with incredible mistakes. I learned what these mistakes were as a result of the training I later received. But despite this, the taste of the resulting wine was far from the bad image in my memory. Later, from what our more knowledgeable friends told us, we understood that we had made many mistakes. I thought, if I liked the taste of the wine despite these mistakes, what would the wine taste like if made without these errors? I definitely needed to get proper training. And so I did.

I received training from three different institutions, one primarily focused on viticulture. The last training I received, for a significant fee, was the internationally recognized and valid WSET Level 2 certification. Not to mention the numerous books I read about wine... I imagine you're about to ask: Did you make wine in 2024 and beyond? Of course I did. As you can imagine, with the knowledge I gained, the wine I made the following year (2024 vintage) turned out much better. In the 2025 vintage, I'm making both red and white wine. Of course, we make these wines within the framework of relevant law (TAPDK) only for our family's own consumption. In short, this is where I've arrived as someone who didn't like wine.

Why Did I Fall in Love with Wine?

So why did grape juice transformed through fermentation affect me so much? When I asked myself this question, I found many answers within myself.

The history of wine goes back very far, to the end of the Neolithic period before Christ, that is, to 6000 BC. As a result of research conducted by archaeologists in two villages in the southern Caucasus, 50 km from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, traces of wine were found in the pottery used by the societies living at that time. In other words, the moment the wine in your glass touches your lips, you are sipping the heritage and story of at least 8000 years of history. This is quite exciting. Viticulture and, of course, wine production have developed from that time to the present day with knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Especially before the industrial revolution, it was one of the main pillars of the socio-economic and cultural order.

Wine is a serene and elegant alcoholic beverage. And it demands to be treated as such. Arabesque music is not for it, for example. It is a wonderful companion to conversations and dances accompanied by beautiful slow music. It takes tranquility by the hand and turns its back on aggression. From this perspective, for instance, you cannot just gulp it down like beer. Or at least you shouldn't.

What other drink is there that takes you into a world of aromas by swirling in the glass and then smelling it, taking you on a journey accompanied by those scents? Is there? The scents it offers you sometimes take you to your recent past, sometimes to your childhood.

White and red wines are naturally different from each other. However, whites and reds also display different aroma profiles within themselves. Again, each wine has its own unique textural characteristics (such as acid, tannin...). When all of these are taken into account and paired with the right food, can you forget the pleasure of that magnificent union on your palate?

When you say wine, vineyards come to mind, viticulture comes, agriculture comes, farmers come, climate comes, geography comes, in short, nature comes. Grapes are a gift that nature offers you.

Of course, there is much more to say about wine. But aren't these reasons enough to become passionate about it?

Final Words

In the future, I want to spread what I've learned and experienced about wine to the whole world through blog posts, and instill this passion in everyone. If this interests you, don't forget to follow me and share. Stay healthy!