The Barbare winery was created in the year 2000 on the shores of the Marmara Sea in the Thrace region. Organic and Biodynamic methods have been in place since the creation of this 25-hectare winery which benefits from ideal conditions for winemaking. The name Barbare pays homage to the neighboring village of Barbaros. Xavier Vignon has been actively involved since Barbare’s creation, in close partnership with Can Topsakal, its founder. As both friend and consultant oenologist, Xavier continues to visit the winery several times a year in order to guide the teams through the various stages of wine growing and winemaking.

After harvesting, the juices are fermented in stainless steel vats at controlled temperatures for 6 weeks with care taken to ensure that the residual sugars remain below 0.5 g/L. Malolactic fermentation follows and the wines then undergo extended periods of aging in French oak barrels for 48 months.

The Cuvée XL Premier is a team effort. Châteauneuf du Pape… but in Turkey! Pair with köfte à la plancha, spinach, and feta börek, mezes like stuffed vine leaves (dolma) or Turkish lamb’s liver.