{"id":52456,"date":"2025-11-03T10:42:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T07:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/?p=52456"},"modified":"2025-11-06T11:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T08:28:39","slug":"turkish-wine-star-with-ancient-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/en\/turkish-wine-star-with-ancient-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish wine: A rising star with ancient roots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ancient roots of Turkish wine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Traditional clay amphorae used for storing wine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Viticulture in T\u00fcrkiye dates to the very dawn of wine history. Southeastern Anatolia is now considered one of the cradles where the grapevine was first domesticated circa 6000\u20134500 BCE. Evidence of winemaking can be found throughout antiquity: Hittite tablets regulated wine production as early as 2000 BCE, and recent archaeological finds underscore this legacy. On the Aegean coast, for example, a winery owner discovered 2,300-year-old Ionian wine amphorae on his land \u2013 some still faintly smelling of ancient wine. Such discoveries affirm that wine has been made and enjoyed in Anatolia since Neolithic times. Through Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras, viticulture thrived in this region. The Ottoman period saw wine production primarily maintained by minority communities, who preserved the knowledge and cultivated local grape varieties, ensuring this ancient tradition continued through the centuries. After the Republic\u2019s founding in 1923, the young Republic attempted to boost wine production, even establishing a state wine monopoly. Early pioneers like Kavakl\u0131dere (est. 1929) and Doluca (est. 1926) set quality benchmarks in the mid-20th century. Still, for much of the 1900s Turkish wine remained a niche, local affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Turkish wine\u2019s modern renaissance: From leap forward to quiet rise<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A person pouring Turkish wine into glasses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Real transformation began in the 1980s and 1990s, setting the stage for the modern renaissance of Turkish wine. Regulatory changes in the 1990s opened the door for small boutique wineries to flourish. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t until the 1990s that T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s first boutique vineyards emerged,\u201d writes one expert, marking a break from the state monopoly era. Around this time, long-established producers pivoted to quality. Doluca began crafting fine wines from international grapes, and Kavakl\u0131dere invested in premium bottlings of native grapes like \u00d6k\u00fczg\u00f6z\u00fc, Bo\u011fazkere and Kalecik Karas\u0131. These moves in the early 90s are seen as milestones in T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s modern winemaking. Since the mid-1990s the Turkish wine sector has developed rapidly, fueled by passionate domestic investors and a growing base of wine enthusiasts. In the last two decades, the number of wineries exploded from only a handful to almost 200 producers across the country  \u2013 some sources even claim nearly 300, if every new venture is counted. This influx of boutique vintners has fostered healthy competition and experimentation. Producers are crafting high-quality varietal wines from both international staples and local grapes, winning over a new generation of wine drinkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to this renaissance is the revival of indigenous grapes, a movement that\u2019s redefining Turkish wine. In the early 2000s, only about 20 local varieties were being made into wine; today that number has risen to more than 65, thanks in large part to civil initiatives such as the Heritage Vines of T\u00fcrkiye project<\/a>. Wine expert Levon Ba\u011f\u0131\u015f emphasizes that \u201cnowadays, small and large producers are focusing on native varieties\u2026 bringing real excitement to Turkish winemaking.\u201d Grapes like Kalecik Karas\u0131, nearly lost a generation ago, now produce elegant, Pinot-like reds. Narince, a white grape from Tokat, has emerged as a versatile star, yielding everything from crisp unoaked wines to creamy, barrel-fermented bottlings. Emir, grown in Cappadocia\u2019s volcanic soils, delivers subtle floral and mineral notes, while the bold Eastern duo of \u00d6k\u00fczg\u00f6z\u00fc and Bo\u011fazkere has become the backbone of some of the country\u2019s most age-worthy reds. Beyond these, dozens of lesser-known grapes \u2014 Karao\u011flan, Keten G\u00f6mlek, Ac\u0131kara, Hasandede, S\u0131dalan, Barburi, Yap\u0131ncak \u2014 are being rediscovered and vinified, giving T\u00fcrkiye one of the richest pools of native grape diversity anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The accolades speak for themselves. Since 2004, Turkish wines have collected over 1,000 medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards, including several Platinum honors in 2024 alone. Exported to more countries each year, these wines blend native grapes such as Kalecik Karas\u0131, \u00d6k\u00fczg\u00f6z\u00fc, and Narince with modern techniques, showcasing T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s growing influence in the world of fine wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A group of friends raising glasses of Turkish wine for a toast under a tree outdoors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another remarkable aspect of this modern story is the strong role of women. In contrast to France, where women represent about 20% of winemakers, or California, where the figure is closer to 15%, T\u00fcrkiye stands out with a much higher share. Women lead production at many of the country\u2019s most respected wineries, some bringing more than two decades of expertise. They emphasize meticulousness, attention to detail, and dedication \u2014 qualities that have become hallmarks of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s rising wine culture. Their influence extends beyond the cellars: during harvest, women make up the majority of vineyard workers, hand-picking the grapes that form the foundation of every bottle. This blend gives Turkish wine a uniquely female-driven strength within the global industry. Visionaries such as Sabiha Apayd\u0131n, founder of the Root, Origin, Soil initiative<\/a>, have also been instrumental in bringing together people, or let\u2019s say \u201cwinebassadors\u201d to contribute to Turkish wine culture and raise awareness of Anatolia\u2019s heritage vineyards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these forces together \u2014 boutique pioneers, revived heritage grapes, strategic blending, international accolades, and the vital contribution of women \u2014 are gradually shaping what some experts describe as the beginnings of a new Turkish style. These wines are approachable to global palates yet unmistakably Turkish, carrying the signature of Anatolia\u2019s soils, climates, and traditions, as experts say, the terroir. What began as a leap forward in the 1990s has matured into a quiet but confident rise, placing T\u00fcrkiye firmly on the map of the world\u2019s emerging fine wine regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Widen your world.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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