Turkish wine

Antiquity

Evidence for early viticulture in Anatolia comes from sites in the southeast (Upper Mesopotamia), where domesticated grapes have been dated to between roughly 9500 and 5000 BCE.^[1] Wine appears in Hittite legal texts of the second millennium BCE: damaging a vineyard carried fines, and ritual texts describe libations of wine to the gods.^[2] Under the Phrygians, Anatolian wine was traded across the Mediterranean, with shipments reaching Marseille in the 6th century BCE. The Aegean coast — Lydia, Ionia and the islands offshore — was associated with the cult of Dionysus, and Homer mentions wines from the region.^[3]

Ottoman period

Under the Ottoman Empire, commercial wine production was carried out almost entirely by non-Muslim subjects: Rûm (Greek Orthodox), Armenians, Syriacs and Jews. Vineyards persisted in Thrace, on the Aegean coast and in inland regions such as Cappadocia. Smyrna (modern İzmir) was a particularly active export port for wine and other vine products during the 17th century.^[3]

Early Republic

After the founding of the Republic in 1923, the new government promoted commercial winemaking. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered the establishment of a state winery at Tekirdağ in 1925.^[5] For much of the 20th century Tekel, the state alcohol and tobacco monopoly, dominated the trade. Two of today's largest private firms, Doluca (founded 1926) and Kavaklıdere (founded 1929), date from this period.^[2]

Post-1990 developments

The privatisation of Tekel's alcoholic-drinks division, completed in 2004, removed the state's role in production. New private wineries appeared during the 1990s and 2000s. Many were small, family-run estates, and several worked with foreign consultants. A number of producers began replanting native grapes such as Kalecik Karası, Narince and Urla Karası that had been little used since the early 20th century. Turkish wines have collected over a thousand medals in international competitions since the mid-2000s, according to industry sources.^[2]

Thrace and Marmara

The northwest produces somewhere between 30% and 40% of Turkey's wine.^[5] The climate is maritime, moderated by the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Production is centred on Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, Şarköy and the Gelibolu peninsula. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are widely planted alongside the indigenous red Papazkarası; Yapıncak, a local white grape, survives mainly around Şarköy.^[6]

Aegean

The Aegean is the largest wine-producing region by volume, with around a third of national output. Its climate is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and mild winters.

Coastal vineyards are found around Urla, Çeşme and on the island of Bozcaada (ancient Tenedos). Bozcaada has long been planted with the local varieties Karalahna and Çavuş. The Urla peninsula has seen new plantings since the 2000s, including the previously near-extinct Urla Karası and the white Bornova Misketi.^[2]

The inland Aegean, around Denizli (especially Çal) and Manisa, sits on higher plateaus. Most of the country's Sultaniye crop, used for raisins as well as some light white wine, comes from here. The red Çalkarası, used mainly for rosé, takes its name from Çal.^[4]

Central Anatolia

Vineyards in Cappadocia and the area around Ankara grow at altitudes between roughly 800 and 1,200 metres in a continental climate. Cappadocia, with its volcanic tuff soils, is the home of Emir, a white grape used both for still wine and for traditional-method sparkling.^[7] Winter frost is a recurring problem; some growers bury vines for protection. The microclimate around the Kızılırmak near the town of Kalecik gives its name to Kalecik Karası.

Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia

The harsher climate of the east limits the range of varieties but suits certain late-ripening reds. Elazığ and Malatya, in the Euphrates valley, are the heartland of Öküzgözü. Diyarbakır and the surrounding plain are associated with Boğazkere, a tannic red. In Mardin, a smaller Syriac community has maintained an older tradition using local grapes such as Mazrona.^[2]

Other areas

There are scattered vineyards in the Taurus Mountains of the Mediterranean region, particularly around Elmalı in Antalya province, where the red grape Acıkara has been replanted by a small number of producers. In the Black Sea region, the province of Tokat grows Narince on the climatic boundary between the wet coast and the dry interior.^[1]

Indigenous varieties

International varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Franc are the main red imports; Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Viognier dominate among whites. Bordeaux-style red blends are common, as are mixed bottlings that combine an international variety with a native one.^[1]

Styles

Reds range from light, perfumed wines (Kalecik Karası) to dense, tannic bottlings designed for ageing (Boğazkere). The Öküzgözü–Boğazkere blend, sold for many years under the brand name Buzbağ, is sometimes treated as the prototypical Turkish red. White wines include crisp, mineral examples from Cappadocia (Emir), aromatic Muscats from the Aegean (Bornova Misketi), and barrel-fermented bottlings from Narince and Chardonnay. Rosé is made principally from Çalkarası and Kalecik Karası, usually in a dry, pale style. Sparkling wine is produced in smaller quantities, mostly by the traditional method using Emir or Kalecik Karası. Late-harvest and fortified wines exist but are rare commercially.