One of my favorite coffee-table books is Red Wine, The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties & Styles. While I’ve tried more than half of the wines in this book, there are a number of international wines that are brand new to me. Öküzgözü (pronounced o-KOOZ-go-zoo) is one of those wines. We will explore it today.
About Öküzgözü
Öküzgözü means “bull’s eye” in Turkish and, according to my Red Wine book, “the wine made from these grapes is set to become Turkey’s best-known variety.”
This dark-skinned native grape does well in hot, dry summers. The best vineyards are at an altitude range of 2,800 to 3,500 feet. The altitude, coupled with the cooling effects of the Euphrates River and large reservoirs created by two dams, helps the grapes retain their acidity.
According to Wine-Searcher, “Wine made from Öküzgözü is bright ruby-colored with red fruit aromas of raspberries and cherries as well as hints of mint. The variety has an excellent acidity and fine tannins. Its name is said to refer to the resemblance of the large, fleshy berries to a bull’s eye. It has characteristics that have brought about comparisons with Pinot Noir, and like that variety has the ability to faithfully reflect the environments from where it is grown.”
The grape is done both as a standalone varietal wine and a blend, where it is combined with Turkish native called Boğazkere to form more powerful wines.
Good Things to Know About This Grape
Öküzgözü is best when lightly oaked or not oaked at all. It’s also best to drink it young. They recommend not touching anything older than three years.
Recently, it’s become more difficult for Turkish vintners to sell wine domestically. So, we should be able to find this wine here. In doing some Google searching, I was able to find a bottle on Wine-Searcher for $28.
Food Pairings
This wine pairs well with smoked foods, including smoked chicken and smoked turkey. It also goes well with tomatoes and eggplant and lamb kebobs.
Have you tried Öküzgözü? What did you think?
