The place of wine in Anatolian lands has a history of thousands of years. Geographically, Turkey is one of the most suitable countries for wine production. Grapes sprout from all but 2 of Turkey’s 7 regions. According to 2010 data from the International Food Organization (FAO), Turkey ranks fourth after France, Italy and Spain in terms of vineyard area. However, only 2.5-3 percent of these grapes produced are used in winemaking. However, with the establishment of many wine factories in our country in recent years, wine consumption has increased to the same level. Wine exports have increased in recent years. This gives hope for the future of winemaking in Turkey.
Papazkarası, Gamay, Cinsault and Semillon are among the most widely produced grape varieties in the Marmara region. Especially in Şarköy and Mürefte, the consumption of grapes and wine is quite common. Many wineries are located in these places. In Çanakkale and Bozcaada, grapes called Vasilaki are used to make sweet white wines and Kuntra is used to make red wines.
Emir grapes are used in the production of juicy dry white wines within the boundaries of the Nevşehir province in the Central Anatolia and Black Sea regions. Dimrit and Şıradar grapes are used as bulca in red wine production due to their low acidity and high sugar content. Kalecik Karası, which is accepted as the best quality red wine grape variety in Central Anatolia, is one of the other grape varieties grown in the region.
When talking about the Aegean region, the first thing that comes to mind is Şirince, famous for its fruit wines. Although it may seem insignificant to many wine lovers, in Şirince you can make wine from all kinds of fruits. Cabarnet Sauvignon, which grows easily in all climates, especially Cariñena, a type of red grape grown in the south of France and Spain, Alicante Bouchet with low alcohol content and low acidity, Shiraz with intense aroma in dark red color, Bornova Musket with aroma and fruit aromas. in white wine, and Foça Karası, very little cultivated, is one of the other grape varieties produced in this region. In recent years, wine and grape production has come to the fore on the Urla and Çeşme coasts of İzmir. In Denizli, another city in the Aegean region famous for its wine, the Çal Karası and Sultaniye grapes stand out, which are used in the production of rosé wine.
Öküzgözü, which is Anatolia’s most prized red wine grape, is grown in Elazığ and Malatya in the Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia regions. The Boğazkere grape grown in Diyarbakır, on the other hand, stands out for its flavor, which wine lovers especially like, due to its high content of tannic acid. The wines produced in Mardin and Midyat, which have stood out with their winemaking tradition for thousands of years in the eastern and southeastern regions of Anatolia, are produced by the Assyrians who live in this region and are made from the local Mazruna grape varieties. and Kerkus.