Sinanation

I finally had the pleasure of opening my 1999 Chateau Laroque with my best friend. Bottled in one of the oldest and the largest estates in Saint-Emilion, France, this exquisite red wine was truly remarkable. A blend of 87% merlot (my most favorite), 11% cabarnet franc and 2% cabarnet sauvignon, it had been resting in my compact wine cellar at 16 degrees celsius since it travelled all the way from Paris with me.

It was the perfect ingredient to a cozy night with a juicy chunk of filet mignon and a generous spread of Dijon mustard. I will surely get a few more of these once I get the opportunity.

Drink the Bellini until you can burp no more! Venice is where this heavy-in-volume, light-in-alcohol mashed peach puree Prossecco drink was created. Harry’s Bar, opened in 1931 by the bartender Guiseppe Cipriani with the 90,000 lire gifted to him by a rich American guest, has the original recipe. Definitely stop by after walking around San Marco.

Have lunch on the terrace of Gritti Palace. This place has great view and delicious food. I recommend the Burrata to start with and then the lobster salad or the black ink risotto as the main course.

Have dinner at PG’s Club Restaurant. Luigi Fracella, the head chef at Palazzina Grassi, is a pro when it comes to Italian food. He is originally from Puglia, the region where all my favorite Italian friends are from. This food-master is one of the most down-to-earth and friendly famous professional I have met in a long time. He has been in the food business for more than 15 years and worked at restaurants such as Locanda Locatelli in London and Zuma in London and Tokyo. He was handpicked to prepare the sushi for the Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittall’s son’s wedding in Venice during our stay at Grassi. Luigi is known to infuse traditional comfort food with modern flavors. Through his kitchen, I have eaten the most delicious prawn served on top of a toast and the most fulfilling veal infused ravioli. On top of all, I owe him big time for an amazing hangover seafood pasta al dante splashed with the most delicious spicy tomato sauce (prepared so delicately at 3 am in the morning!).

Have lunch at Locanda Cipriani on the island of Torcello, 10 km out of St. Marks Square on the northeastern side of the Venetian lagoon. This inn/restaurant is a sight to see and savor. Although Torcello island has played a major role in commerce and welcomed a large population centuries ago, today it survives as a quiet place with amazing botanic gardens and a few monuments to see.

Locanda Cipriani was opened in 1935 and became extremely famous after Ernest Hemingway wrote his book “Across the River and Through the Trees” right here. This must be the only place in Venice that serves amazing Italian food surrounded by an incredible rose garden.

Have dinner at Da Ivo, a tiny hearty restaurant stuck in the corner of a tiny street and a canal. It was opened in 1976 by Ivo Natali from Tuscany. The specials change regularly. Make sure you stick by them!

The day starts so early for this unique one-day getaway that my eyelids curse the hour I force myself out of the warm bed. It seems that they have all the right to do so given that the weekend is the only time for an ambitious metropolitan worker to get some sleep. The fact that I was out until late the previous night makes it all worse. Nevertheless I make it to the private bus arranged for our trip to Kutman Vineyards in Mürefte, Turkey right on time. Yasmin, Ekin and Fuat join me a few minutes later. Other participants include restaurant owners, finance managers and retired couples. We are on the way to take our share of vines from the harvest (between September and October) and turn them into our own wine: Chateau Mélange.

I take my seat on the bus and roll into sleep until the fresh smell of breakfast rushes up my nose and the introductory wine lecture from our tour guide, Kadri fills up my ears. Kadri talks about the musts of the wine culture as I cut the cheese and spread the honey: “one should never chill the wine with ice, but with cold water, as it breaks all its necessary structure apart”, “not all the establishments that say they are organic are organic. Organic production requires massive infrastructure, great care and years to clean the soil from harmful chemicals”, “I never understand the deal with Petrus. The fact that Paris Hilton posed with it does not make it a good wine! Definitely not worth the price” , “the most exquisite red wine I had was produced below the soil in earthed barrels by the monks, away from noise and temperature fluctuations”.

The 3-hour drive from Istanbul ends in front of Turkey’s first wine museum in Mürefte. This beautiful town once cherished and occupied by the Greeks splashes into the land on the coast of the Marmara Sea. Different vineyards and olive gardens occupy most of the earth with tiny estates watching over each. The weather is softer here cooled down with the salty wind from the sea. My lungs cheer up. Suddenly I am no longer sleepy.

We are greeted with wine (of course) and finger food by the 3rd generation owner of Kutman at 10.30 am in the morning. I realize at that moment that it won’t be a “sober” day. As I walk through the well-prepared museum tour I paste photos of ancient wine-making techniques into my memory and take a record of how much has changed over time. Just as my sleepless brain starts rejecting new data, we are invited back into the bus to climb up to the vines and start collecting the grapes for our very own red wine.

I pair up with Yasmin and the Pamukçus form the other team. We jump into the purple, green and brown with white plastic gloves and sharp scissors and come out with a heavy blue basket full of carefully chosen bunches of grapes. The hard work is cooled off with some great wine, grapes, crackers and cheese on top of rustic floor pillows below a fully grown tree. Serenity and peace fills up the air. Contentment is not far away. The tagged baskets are loaded back on the trucks as we head back to the Kutman facility.

The lunch served on fancy dinner tables inside the museum looks impressive but doesn’t taste so well. The starter comprised mostly of seafood is good but the steak that comes after is stiff and cold. The wine served with the food is unexpectedly extremely cold. Something I would not have expected from such a well prepared tour. Despite the disappointment, I continue to be extremely proud of all that has been prepared for us.

Our stomachs full, we are guided into the Gothic wine cellar, the treasure chest of the Kutmans. 25 plus years-old wine comfortable lie on the shelves with tiny price tags. My eyes light up. I am at the candy shop, helplessly pinching myself to set limits on my purchase. 1985 Papazkarası and 1998 Cabarnet Savignon take the lead as my favorites. Just as I free myself from extras, Kadri sneaks up behind me with better vintages: “Sinan this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You need to have at least 6!”

Finally we see the light again. The wallets empty, the cases full of good wine we head out of the cellar for a new task. The “work” areas are prepped up for each grape team: 2 tiny stools, aprons, a light bulb shaped barrel, a basin, a rolling pin and our tagged grape basket wait quietly for me and Yasmin. With a little direction from Kadri, we put on the aprons and grab the grapes one by one. Once the branches are separated they are ready to be squished inside the basin. All the force in our muscles gather at our bare hands to compress the juice out. I  squeeze my teeth and start thinking of stressful moments to gather extra force. Suddenly I feel lighter and happier. I taste the truth behind the pleasure and contentment of a winemaker.

I am more amazed now that I have seen how that white blurry grape juice turns into dark red. I am extra careful now that I have preserved and filtered it multiple times. I am more patient now that I am still waiting to taste our very own Chateau Mélange. I feel wiser now that I have been through every stage that makes the wine on my table.

I am addicted. I want to do it all over again.

Kutman Vineyards accepted attendees for the first VIP Harvest Tour at its Mürefte facility from the second half of September until 3 Oct 2010. It is planning to continue the program every year. For pricing and more details please visit the website. Unfortunately an English version of the site is not currently available for foreigners.

Perrier with lemon syrup on the rocks. Simply the most refreshing.

Up until my trip to Budapest I thought the Russians had the biggest weapon in alcohol. I was wrong. The vodka, although the most common and cherished tranquilizer in entertainment, can not come near the Hungarian Palinka with an approximate alcohol level of 70%.

This harmless-looking all-so-natural fruity monster travels your veins like a heavy carriage of 15 horses. You take it ice cold in shots and wait until you can finally taste the fruit it was made from.

It is a fruit brandy that punches you like Muhammad Ali. Only after it comfortably settles in your belly you reach for a cold apple juice. Then the Palinka warms up your blood and pumps up your energy like the women you love. The real fun begins without the fear of a hangover the morning after.

I always had difficulty categorizing red vines in terms of their strength. The confusion was resolved after the wine tours in Napa. From lighter to more dense/heavier, here is the list:

• Pinot Noir
• Cabarnet Franc
• Merlot
• Cabarnet Sauvignon

Heavier vines need warmer temperature, so they will be grown farther away from their lighter peers.

I mentioned before the difference between champagne and sparkling wine at Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine, but the Napa trip helped clarify a few important points. In 1919 Europe signed a treaty saying all countries are allowed to use only their own region names to name their wine. The U.S. never signed this agreement. Yet a few years ago the prime minister of France, Nicolas Sarkozy came to an agreement with George Bush confirming that only a few Napa vineyards would be allowed to use the name Champagne for their products. These vineyards would be the ones that have used the term since 1880s.

Every vineyard has a different method of growing and collecting its vines. Some choose to plant the vine plants so close to each other that it promotes competition for minerals, undermines quantity and allows only the strongest and most flavorful ones to prosper. Others expand the room between the vine rows giving each space to breathe and feed. They therefore increase quantity, but lose a little from flavor.

The grape picking season is between September and October. Every proprietor decides his/her own date to collect the grapes. It is all up to them whether or not to keep the stems and the skins of the grapes during fermentation. Their decision determines the acidity and sourness of the wine they produce. Once every estate is done with collection, each hosts celebratory parties around town. The first frost in November kills the leaves leaving the plants naked until the next flowering season.

When a winemaker plants his vines, he/she will wait for 2-3 years for them to strengthen their arms. So the first few years on the estate will pass by without any production. If the wait is shorter, the lifespan of the plants will also be shorter. The wine maker will constrain the shape of the plants to a T instead of the original grand tree to ease collection.

The term “toasting” dates back to the days of the French Monarchy. In the old days when the aristocrats had champagne, their servers would pour into the flute and then put in a tiny toast on top for it to suck out the residual. The guests would enjoy the champagne once the toast was removed. The clinging that came before drinking was an act of trust. If the king drank his champagne after the cling, he would reveal that he trusts the person in front of him. If instead of drinking he poured his drink into the other person’s glass, he would reveal his distrust towards that person.

Champagne is one of the most difficult things to produce. Thanks to our tour guide at Schramsberg, we found out how dangerous it is to keep champagne intact in bottle while in fermentation. It is pretty common for bottles to explode out of no apparent reason, creating a chain reaction spreading on the other bottles kept in the same rack. The same problem continues during the riddling process which helps remove the residual gathered on one side of the bottle. The producers get rid of this long line of residue by twisting each bottle at a certain degree continuously until it dissolves into the champagne. Widow Clicquot, founder of Veuve Clicquot invented the riddling process on her own kitchen table.

The longer a champagne stays on the side in a cellar, the lesser and the tinier its bubble will be once poured into the flute.

All the high quality wine barrels are made in France and cost approx. USD 1,300. Each barrel producer can distinguish his/her barrel among the others based on a blind-folded wine tasting.

Opus One The most precious and well-known baby of the business partnership between the Rotschild and the Mondavi. Despite the heavy tradition and history behind it, Opus One is produced in an ultra-modern, sleek looking vineyard in Napa. The Pyramid-like estate (built by the architects of the Transamerica building in San Francisco) carved below ground into the center of the vines dominates its surroundings with its bright limestone and sharp iron columns. It reminds me more of a memorial than the production facility of the most exquisite wine in Napa. We meet our tour guide inside the waiting room decorated with Miro prints and antique French mirrors. The history unveils.

Baron Philippe de Rotschild was always interested in producing wine and got into the whole thing by taking over Chateau Mouton Rothschild outside of Bordeaux, France from his father at early age. After revitalizing the Chateau, Baron envisioned a far grander wine production, but this time in the then isolated Napa Valley. He partnered up with Robert Mondavi, who already knew the Napa soil like the back of his hand. Together the families formed the Opus One vineyard.

I strongly recommend you take the tour here. Make your reservation ahead.

Schramsberg I had no idea how famous this Champagne producer was before I made it there. Located farther away from all the well-known vineyards, Schramsberg welcomes visitors like an ordinary luxurious estate. Its well-attended exteriors and interiors show no signs of turmoil although its history is abundant with financial disasters. Its incredible natural and man-made dark caves below ground keep the fresh champagne dry and safe, reminding one of Batman’s batcave (even he would trade the batmobile for the treasure hidden at Schramsberg).

Known as the oldest Napa vineyard, Scharmsberg was formed by the Schramsberger Family in 1880s. Its name spread out to London and then to Europe when it was mentioned in a famous travel book whose author visited the vineyard during his travels around the U.S. Since then Schramsberg has gone through several owners because of financial stress and finally got a break in 1972 when its most recent owner Jack Davies received an anonymous order for a few cases. He delivered the order to an airbase and found out only weeks later that his champagne was served at the White House and was mentioned on the TV by Ronald Reagan. The orders went crazy after that.

This place is a must see (including the tour and the tasting afterwards). Make your reservation ahead.

Quintessa Nurtured with the love of a Chilean couple, Quintessa prospers with its strength in red wine. The estate once belonged to a socialite who used its man-made lake for exclusive summer parties. Today the same lake is used to keep the vines warm and humid.

Definitely pay a visit to taste the different blends of red wines here. Make the reservation for a visit ahead.

I became a fan of this place too late and can not recall when I first went there. In the middle of Chinatown in New York, in a forgotten alley, in between massage parlors and somber apartments you will find a bright red label that reads “Gold Flower Restaurant”. That is where you need to head to find Apotheke. Totally abandoned during the day and irresistibly full during the night, Apotheke is a cave of alcoholic wonders.

Around 11 pm, as you make your way into Doyers St. you will see a well-suited man with a hat guarding the door of the most unusual place at that time of the night. You will hear a buzz of music pumping out of what appears to be a restaurant. Once inside you will be amazed by the gothic exposed brick, red velvet, dimmed light decoration. The only window in the place will be covered in dark green wine bottles. The bar will be filled with not bartenders but cocktail experts dressed in white scientist coats. The menu of drinks will amaze you. The music will put you in a great mood. That will be the moment you will become a fan of this surprising cave of alcoholic wonders.

There will be a long line of visitors during the weekends (won’t bother you if you are friends with James at the door) and once inside, you will have a blast. If you ask my advice, go to Apotheke on a Wednesday night once in a while to appreciate the music and taste the amazing drinks in peace.

Femme Fatale and Pepper Infusion from the menu are my favorite. If you want to get jiggy, try a glass of the House Absinthe (be ready for some good show during its preparation).

Even though they said “please” I can’t help not writing about this tiny lounge hidden behind a delicious NYC hotdog shop. Please Don’t Tell (PDT) was the best entertainment for us on a quiet Wednesday night. Out of Luke’s Lobster in East Village, our appetite satisfied with delicious lobster rolls, we walked up to St. Marks Place to stumble into Crif Dogs. Inside the shop my friend made his call through the antique telephone booth found on the left side. Right after our friends who couldn’t resist the Crif sour cheese dog, were done with their food, a tiny door on the other side of the booth opened up to call us in.

It was easy to tell that PDT is a toughened up speakeasy from the people who have walked out of the booth before us. Some were in shorts and some in nice dresses. Anyone who knew someone inside was welcome. Dressed up with a black interior, dimmed lights and mummies of wild animals, PDT welcomes visitors to a wide corridor of a few booths and a sophisticated bar.

The cocktails (which change every season) are unique and worth trying. The short menu of food found on the last page is also too delicious not to notice. One other essential thing to notice here is, as my friend Can Paksoy mentioned, the list of house rules hung up inside the restrooms.

We all do it. One glass after the other. One testing after the other. Towards the end of the whole fun, we realize that the next morning will be all about recovery. Hangover will be waiting for us when open our eyes. Exhausted, thirsty, hungry and probably with a heavy headache, we will find our way to the bathroom to pee out whatever we can. Then the question will hit us: “What could I have done to avoid it?”

As Musa always insists, matching a glass of water with every drink is always an option. Another less systematic common solution is the Alka-Seltzer wonder right before sleep. Tylenol PM can also pass the test if heavy alcohol consumption is not involved. I must have tried all and each seem to work if done right. Yet, thanks to my San Francisco trip, I think I may have found the best instant solution to avoid hangover.

Manjula, our bartender at THESLANTEDDOOR, introduced me and Gorkem to a secret they have been using around the Bay Area since forever. Whenever bartenders drank heavily they would pour some Fernet-Branca in a shot glass, chug the Italian liquor and then have Ginger Ale as a chaser. Made from a number of herbs, this aromatic spirit contains 40% alcohol and is usually served as a digestif. Trust me, next time go for the extra alcohol to cure the heavy alcohol consumption.