Türkiye: sparkling wines appear again in the world

Led by bold producers who opt for native strains, Turkish sparkling wines are making their way into Türkiye and other countries. A successful bet and not easy at first, since Turkey had lost its reputation as a great country almost a century ago. wine producerbased on an ancient tradition.

“Our production runs out very quickly. We are not able to meet the growing demand. Especially now that the New Year is approaching“says Candas Misir, director of the Vinkara winery, which in 2009 was the first in produce sparklingwhite and pink, using the method of traditional champagnein their vineyards in Kalecik, 80 kilometers from Ankara.

Since then, others turkish vineyards They follow in their footsteps and offer bruts that are reminiscent of the famous French champagne, although they cannot use the designation of origin, which is ultra-controlled, despite the fact that they make it with the same criteria.

“At first we had a very reserved reception. People wondered: What is this? sparkling wine Turkish?”Misir recalls.

“But just one tasting is enough for these prejudices to disappear.“, smile.

Offering a very floral aroma with fruity notes, reminiscent of sparkling wines from the French region of Alsace, “Yasasin” (which means “Live!” in Turkish) won the gold medal in 2020 in the ‘Effervescents of the World’ competition , organized in France.

“Sleeping giant”

Behind this success lies an almost completely manual production, from the native strain Kalecik Karasi (the “Black of Kalecik”, in Turkish), nicknamed “the Turkish Pinot Noir”, which was in danger of disappearing in the 80s, but was resurrected thanks to the efforts of Turkish researchers and winegrowers.

For Burak Demirel, winemaker and professor of winemaking at Namik Kemal University, the rediscovery of local grape varieties has played a key role in the recent success of still wines and Turkish sparkling wines.

“Universities and winegrowers do an extraordinary job. They have identified more than 800 native strains. This is a huge potential that Türkiye has been underexploited for years. That is why it was known as the sleeping giant of viticulture.“, it states.

“Today we are witnessing its awakening, with the launch almost every two years of a came produced from a new strain.”

Thus, between 2004 and 2022, the production of still wines has tripled. It has even increased fivefold in the case of sparkling wines, reaching 78 million liters and 2.4 million liters in 2022, according to official figures.

Success among bloggers

For Andrea Lemieux, resident in Istanbul for eleven years and author of a guide to turkish winesalthough winegrowers They focus on quality, they have also taken care of marketing, especially among wine bloggers who have flourished in recent years.

“There are many people who write about Turkish wines and who come especially to Türkiye to test them. Thanks to them, Turkish sparkling wines are becoming better known“, it states.

“I know two wine cellars in Washington, United States, which quickly depleted their stocks after they started selling Vinkara’s Yasasin. There is a real interest” he believes.

However, exports are limited for the moment, with only 30,000 liters in 2022, according to official statistics.

Don’t forget that competition is tough with European, Spanish and Italian rivals, which are often less expensive.

“People are concerned about the price, mainly when they do not have knowledge on the subject. However, the quality is there”says Lemieux.

“Türkiye It occupies the sixth position in the world as a grape producer with 4.1 million tons. But only 4% of this harvest is destined for wine making. We are far from reaching our potential”, lamented in 2021 the president of the Association of Wine Producers Ali Basman in the Turkish press.

Producing or consuming wine has become more expensive and more difficult under the Islamoconservative government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who tightened legislation and increased taxes on wines. alcoholic beverages.

The awakening of thesleeping giant“It will still take some time, but Professor Demirel remains confident.

“There is a young generation of Turkish producers and winemakers who do a lot of research and are at the forefront of new developments. The future of turkish winessparkling and calm, it is brilliant“, it states.