Location:
Climate:
Rough and dry terrestrial climate is dominant in the Diyarbak›r province. Very hot during the day and cold at night during growing season. Precipitation differs between 600 – 1000 mm with an average of 750 mm per year. The longterm mean temperature differs between 12 to 16°C
Soil type:
Decomposed sandstone to red clays.
Wine Grape Production Share:
The South-East Anatolia region accounts for 3.4% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
The grape
varieties of the region are:
Boğazkere.
Wine History in Anatolia
“Neolithic Period”
Vitis Vinifera’s Natural Distribution
and Archaeological Discoveries.
According to archeobotanists, grape was reclaimed in
East Anatolia, Georgia and Armenia trio.
Vitis Vinifera grows in a band with 6000 km long from Middle East to Spain and 1300 km wide from Crimean to West Africa.
Vitis Vinifera grows in a band with 6000 km long from Middle East to Spain and 1300 km wide from Crimean to West Africa.
Primal
Vinifera in Eastern Anatolia
Dr. Patrick McGovern Collecting
Wild Grapevines (at the Headwaters of the Tigris River)
Wine History in Anatolia from Bronze Age to
Antiquity
The first traces of viticulture and winemaking in Anatolia date back 7,000 years. Wine had an indispensable role in the social lives of the oldest civilizations of Anatolia the Hattis and the Hittites. It was the primary libation offered to the gods during rituals attended by royalty and high governors. Provisions protecting viticulture in Hittite law, and the custom of celebrating each vintage with a holiday, suggest that wine was important to both ancient economies and ancient cultural practices.
The first traces of viticulture and winemaking in Anatolia date back 7,000 years. Wine had an indispensable role in the social lives of the oldest civilizations of Anatolia the Hattis and the Hittites. It was the primary libation offered to the gods during rituals attended by royalty and high governors. Provisions protecting viticulture in Hittite law, and the custom of celebrating each vintage with a holiday, suggest that wine was important to both ancient economies and ancient cultural practices.
The Phrygians introduced wine to Greek colonists
on Anatolia’s western flank
For the Phrygians, who lived in Anatolia after the Hittites, wine was an essential part of daily life and an important lement in their diet along with olive oil, fish, and bread. The Phrygians introduced wine to Greek colonists on Anatolia’s western flank, and by the 6th century BC wine was being exported as far as France and Italy from trading and production entres such as Tabae (Tavas, near the present-day Pamukkale) and Klazomenai (near Urla) both in the southern Aegean region and Ainos (Enez) to the north. Knidos (today’s Datça), on the southwest Mediterranean coast, and the island of hodes were also leading centres for the wine trade. One of these early Anatolian grapes, Misket, became known as uscat in Europe. Another variety from Smyrna (today’s Izmir), was used in the production of the famous wine of Pramnios, which is mentioned in Homer’s Iliad.
Wine History in Anatolia “Hellenistic
Period Wine Regions”
İzmir
“Pramneion, produced in ‹zmir Region was a dry and full bodied wine with high tannin and alcohol.”
Illias Odysseia
“Pramneion, produced in ‹zmir Region was a dry and full bodied wine with high tannin and alcohol.”
Illias Odysseia
Gallipoli
“Phonecia colony Lampsakos(Lapseki) is known with its wines.”
Strabo, Geografia
Central Anatolia
In Galatia Region in Central Anatolia, sweet wine was produced called Scybelites.
“Scybelites produced in Galatia always keeps its freshness as the Halyntium wine of Sicily.”
Gaius Plinius Secundus
In Galatia Region in Central Anatolia, sweet wine was produced called Scybelites.
“Scybelites produced in Galatia always keeps its freshness as the Halyntium wine of Sicily.”
Gaius Plinius Secundus
Wine History in Anatolia “from Ottomans to
Turkish Republic”
Later still, Turkish tribes arrived in Anatolia from
Central Asia they, too, drank wine. Productioncontinued even after Islam began
to dominate the region, and a comfortable balance developed between
Christian and Muslim residents: Christians, for the most part, produced the
wine; both Christians and Muslims consumed it. During the long period of
the Ottoman Empire (1299–1923), wine production and trade were carried out
exclusively by non-Muslim minorities (Greeks, Armenians, Syrians, and
others).
However, what we today would call wine-bars, usually in Christian eighborhoods, were also patronized by Muslims. During the Ottoman period, the general atmosphere of tolerance was interrupted from time to time by official prohibitions on the use and sale of alcohol. Wine-bars were forced to close and heavy sanctions, even death penalties, were applied to those who didn’t obey the new rules. The prohibitions were always short-lived, however each time they would be first loosened, then eventually lifted completely. This regular reversal of policy had an economic reason: the tax collected from wine sales was an important source of income for the Ottoman treasury, so any long-term banning of alcohol sales contradicted state interests. Even during periods of prohibition, vineyards were never uprooted: grape production was simply diverted to other types of consumption. A ready supply of grapes enabled wine production to recover rapidly after each hiatus.
However, what we today would call wine-bars, usually in Christian eighborhoods, were also patronized by Muslims. During the Ottoman period, the general atmosphere of tolerance was interrupted from time to time by official prohibitions on the use and sale of alcohol. Wine-bars were forced to close and heavy sanctions, even death penalties, were applied to those who didn’t obey the new rules. The prohibitions were always short-lived, however each time they would be first loosened, then eventually lifted completely. This regular reversal of policy had an economic reason: the tax collected from wine sales was an important source of income for the Ottoman treasury, so any long-term banning of alcohol sales contradicted state interests. Even during periods of prohibition, vineyards were never uprooted: grape production was simply diverted to other types of consumption. A ready supply of grapes enabled wine production to recover rapidly after each hiatus.
Wine production reached record levels and alcohol
prohibitions ceased during the second half of the 19th century, in the
atmosphere of tolerance and freedom brought about by the Ottoman
modernization movement. At the same time European vineyards were
being devastated by an epidemic of phylloxera (a vine-attacking insect),
reducing wine production dramatically. In order to meet the resulting
surge in European demand, the Ottoman Empire’s wine exports increased
substantially reaching 340 million litres in 1904.
Wine History in Anatolia
“From the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic”
Later still, Turkish tribes arrived in Anatolia from
Central Asia and they, too, drank wine. Production continued even after Islam
began to dominate the region, and a comfortable balance developed between
Christian and Muslim residents: Christians, for the most part, produced the
wine; both Christians and Muslims consumed it. During the long period of the
Ottoman Empire (1299–1923), wine production and trade were carried out
exclusively by non-Muslim minorities (Greeks, Armenians, Syrians, and others).
However, what we today would call wine-bars, usually in Christian
neighborhoods, were also patronized by Muslims.
During the Ottoman period, the general atmosphere of
tolerance was interrupted from time to time by official prohibitions on the use
and sale of alcohol. Wine-bars were forced to close and heavy sanctions, even
death penalties, were applied to those who didn’t obey the new rules. The
prohibitions were always short-lived, however each time they would be first
loosened, then eventually lifted completely. This regular reversal of policy
had an economic reason: the tax collected from wine sales was an important
source of income for the Ottoman treasury, so any long-term banning of alcohol
sales contradicted state interests. Even during periods of prohibition,
vineyards were never uprooted: grape production was simply diverted to other
types of consumption. A ready supply of grapes enabled wine production to
recover rapidly after each hiatus.
Wine production reached record levels and alcohol
prohibitions ceased during the second half of the 19th century, in the
atmosphere of tolerance and freedom brought about by the Ottoman modernization
movement. At the same time European vineyards were being devastated by an
epidemic of phylloxera (a vine-attacking insect), reducing wine production
dramatically. In order to meet the resulting surge in European demand, the Ottoman
Empire’s wine exports increased substantially reaching 340 million litres in
1904.
“The
Turkish Republic”
There was a considerable amount of wine production
before World War I and the War of Independence in Turkey. But wars affected
production negatively, especially in the Thrace and Aegean regions.
The production of all alcoholic beverages went under
the control of government monopoly in 1927, with the exception of wine, for
which private production and the development of vineyards was still permitted.
This was specifically done to develop and protect wine production. The only
restriction, which in today’s terms could be called “controlled wine
regions-appellation controllée”, was the permissions given to wine production
on specific regions where wine grapes were being produced. In 1928 the
government began to support wine producers with technical knowhow and
semi-financial support. (There was also support for export tax exemptions and a
support fee/kg).
M.Emile Bouffart was one of the first pioneering
consultants who evaluated wines and the wine regions in Turkey, including
advising on where to develop wineries.
In 1946 there were 28 small sized wineries all around
Turkey exploring the potential quality of wine production with different
varieties and terroirs under the Government Monopoly.
Marcel Biron was also one of the consultants working
for the Government Monopoly and identifying different wine regions and wines in
Turkey (1937-1947).
The 1950’s government initiated French grape varieties
for plantation in the Aegean and Thrace regions (Semillon, Clairette, Sylvaner,
Gamay, Cinsaut, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are among the varieties
planted and explored during these dates).
The subsequent decrease in quality began with the
non-implementation of this “controlled wine regions” regulation as well as
political changes in the 1960’s. Private producers stayed in the market
throughout this period, but remained relatively small in size.
By the late 1980s, as the Turkish economy began to
integrate with other global economies and deregulation became more prevalent,
the tourism sector also began to develop, thus substantially boosting wine
sales. This was the impetus for the wineries to invest in the latest
technology, machineries, to develop their wineries, begin investment in their
vineyards and plant international and local grape varieties to international
quality standards.
Wine of Turkey
Turkish wine is wine made in the transcontinental Eurasian country of
Turkey. The Caucasus region, where the countries of Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey are located today, played a pivotal role in the early
history of wine and is likely to have been one of the earliest wine-producing
regions of the world.
Ampelographers estimate that
Turkey is home to between 600-1200 indigenous varieties of Vitis vinifera (the
European grapevine), though less than 60 of these are grown commercially. With
over 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2) planted under vine, Turkey is the world’s
fourth-leading producer of grapes. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's first
president, established the country's first commercial winery in 1925. According
to the OIV, the total wine production in 2005 was 287,000 hl. In the first half
of 2009, wine consumption in Turkey reached 20,906,762 liters.
It doesn't seem too long ago that Turkey looked like
the future. It had a booming economy and, moreover, a popular government that
seemed to be able to combine Islam with tolerance, democracy and a broadly
liberal outlook. It looked like only a matter of time before Turkey joined the
European Union. At London’s Wines of Turkey tasting last autumn, the mood was
buoyant.
A lot has changed over the course of the last year,
thanks in large part to events in Turkey that have created a charged political
atmosphere there: Last July, a terrorist attack on Ataturk airport left
41 people dead; there was a failed coup later that summer against Erdogan's Islamist
government; and now a government clampdown has resulted in thousands of
suspected antigovernment sympathizers being arrested.
Last year, Turkish wine looked to have a bright
future. Now, the turbulent political situation means that the industry has
reached a critical point. Winemakers need to urgently figure out how to boost
export sales effectively, or else face a languishing home market in a country
where people really don’t drink wine. It’s a problem, but it is also an
opportunity to refocus the industry towards quality.
Turks drink on average one liter of wine per person
per year, compared with Italians, who drink around forty. Eighty percent of
Turks don't drink alcohol at all—and many of those who do prefer beer or raki.
The wine industry used to have a buoyant, if often
rather undiscriminating, tourist market—but, not surprisingly, tourists have
become increasingly reluctant to visit Turkey in the wake of the political
instability there. This June, numbers were down by 41% compared with last year.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, it takes thirteen months for
tourism levels to return to normal after a terrorist attack. The mood was
subdued at July's Turkish wine event in London. "Tourism is like a
sandcastle,” Gözdem Gürbüzatik from Kayra winery told me. “When it's gone it's
very hard to rebuild."
Meanwhile, Turkish wine producers are expressly
forbidden from trying to convert people to the joys of alcohol, thanks to a law
passed in June 2013. To comply with it, the country’s top basketball team, Efes
Pilsen, had to change its name to Anadolu Efes Spor Kulübü so that it doesn't
mention beer (pilsen).
Turks drink on average one liter of wine per person per year, compared with
Italians, who drink around forty. Eighty percent of Turks don't drink alcohol
at all—and many of those who do prefer beer or raki.
In order not to fall foul of this law, Seyit
Karagozoglu from Pasaeli winery told me he does all his promotional activity in
English. His website doesn't even work in Turkey. Another producer I spoke to
who preferred to remain nameless said that people are now afraid to be seen
drinking in public even in Istanbul.
President Erdogan's government may be making things
difficult at home, but currently the Ministry of the Economy supports Wines of
Turkey, a group set up to promote the country's top 25 wineries
internationally. At the moment, Turkey exports only 5% of its production—so
they have a long way to go. Turkey produces a lot of grapes, but most are made
into raisins. Wine production is small, roughly 68 million liters a year,
compared to Portugal's 680 million or Greece's 338 million.
Despite this dilemma, the country has a rich history
of winemaking: They've been making wine in Turkey for a long time—probably
about 7,000 years—and Greek and Armenian farmers continued this tradition under
Ottoman rule. Turkey became a republic in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal, aka Ataturk
(father of Turks). A keen drinker himself, though of whiskey rather than wine,
he wanted to bring the country into the modern world by encouraging
viticulture. This October, the current regime signaled its disapproval of
Ataturk’s liberal attitude towards alcohol by removing a portrait of him with a
glass of raki from display at the Turkish Parliament.
In Kemalist Turkey, all alcohol production was run by
a state company called Tekel. Nowadays there are 31 export-driven producers who
make up Wines of Turkey. Tekel itself was privatized in 2004, and the wine
division, which operates under the Kayra brand, is now owned by the international
drinks conglomerate Diageo. Overseeing wine production is a laconic Californian
called Daniel O' Donnell. He started his career with Ravenswood in Sonoma and
has since worked in Italy, China, Chile and New Zealand. This August is his
ten-year anniversary in Turkey.
When he first arrived at Kayra, quality was not the
main priority for the brand: "The old state-run monopoly was in a sense a
social welfare system. If a grower brought in grapes they would be bought, no
questions asked, with no conditions or quality control," O'Donnell told
me. "The wine was underwhelming. I tossed out 16 million liters and closed
the five offending wineries." Talk about a new broom.
Kayra now has two wineries: one in Thrace near the
border with Bulgaria, and one in Southeast Anatolia. Turkey can be divided into
two parts when it comes to wine. There's the western half, concentrated around
the Aegean and in Thrace, where the climate is Mediterranean, warm with mild
winters, which tends to make gentler more easy drinking sort of wines. Then there's
Anatolia, with vineyards near Ankara in the center, east towards Syria and
north near the Black Sea. This has a continental climate, hot summers and cold
winters, which produces more powerful wines, higher in both tannin and acidity.
Turkey has a wealth of indigenous grapes, such as
Öküzgözü (if you don't like umlauts then Turkish wine probably isn't for you).
"When I arrived, what was called Öküzgözü turned out to be about five or
six different grapes," O'Donnell said. He's also excited about another
variety called Boğazkere. He let me try a hugely impressive (and tannic)
example from "an ancient vineyard, the vines are like tree trunks."
The process of charting the vines and the land is still embryonic:
"Vineyards are a long, slow road. I only have 10 years with the vines and
soils of Turkey. I would like to have several hundred more!"
It's not just local grapes. Turkish producers are also
very keen to show off their Cabernets and Syrahs. Olga Rai, whose company
Vinorai imports Turkish wine into the US, told me: "We started with
international and learned quickly that the market doesn't want another
Chardonnay from Turkey." She makes an exception with Pasaeli, in the west
of the country, which blend French and rare indigenous varieties such as
Karasakız into something uniquely Turkish. They're a tiny operation in contrast
to Kayra.
Pasaeli currently export about 10% of their
production. With the recent decline of tourism, combined with the official
disapproval of domestic alcohol consumption, it's vital to Turkish producers
that this percentage increases. And there’s no reason it shouldn’t: Turkey has
fantastic varieties, vineyards and producers, and wine drinkers worldwide are
becoming more adventurous. This should be a golden opportunity for Turkish wines.
"At the moment, the government needs our
taxes," Seyit Karagozoglu from Pasaeli told me. He paused and shrugged,
the implication being that at some point the government’s attitude might
change. “It could be time to start thinking of a plan B,” he added. Let's hope
he doesn’t have to.
Daniel O'Donnell, for one, is bullish about the future
of Turkish wine: "You cannot imagine how optimistic I am about the future
and Turkey's wine quality,” he said. “I can only hope to live another 50 years
to see it happen."
5 Turkish grapes:
Öküzgözü (red grape) It makes spicy wine with plenty of acidity and
medium tannins. I normally detect notes of cloves, licorice and dense autumn
fruits. Reminds me a little of Touriga Nacional from Portugal.
Kalecik Karası (red grape) Grown all over the country, this has floral and red
fruit notes and very little tannin—think Pinot Noir but with maraschino
cherries and even Turkish delight.
Bogazkere (red grape) The word means "burns your throat"
because of its fierce tannins. It can be a bit wild, though capable of elegance
when done well. It's often blended with Öküzgözü to tame its ferocity.
Narince (white grape) With its floral notes it reminds me a little of
Muscat, but there's also a grassiness to it that's a little like Sauvignon
Blanc. According to O'Donnell, it needs to be picked early or it can be a bit
flabby. Native to Tokat near the Black Sea.
Emir (white grape) This has lemony fruit with lots of acidity and
structure. It's capable of aging. Only grown in Cappadocia in central Anatolia.
4 Turkish wines to try:
The nose is floral and grassy. On the palate it has
the most delightful, creamy texture. Hard to believe how old this is. It's so
fresh.
You've never had Merlot like it. It's blended with
Karasakız, a rare grape native to the Aegean. The color is so pale it's almost
a rosé. This is so pretty and fragrant, there's red cherry fruit, just a
whisper of tannin and a long finish. Really gorgeous.
This variety often has a candied edge to it. This
example smells like Coca-Cola (a good thing!). It's light, ripe and refreshing
with just a little firmness and an earthy finish.
You can see why Daniel O' Donnell loves this variety
so much. This has an earthy, smoky nose with notes of licorice. It's full with
lovely ripe tannins and masses of dark savory fruit. Distinctive
and good.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario