Like many countries in the Mediterranean region, Turkey is passionate about winemaking, and this love goes back more than one millennium. Already eight centuries before the onset of a new era, the inhabitants of modern Turkey were producing wine, as archaeological finds tell fans of wine tours. Many centuries ago, Turkish wines and grapes were the main products that were supplied from here to different regions of the Old World.
Islam and the traditions of winemaking
The Muslim religion, professed by the majority of the population of Turkey, does not welcome the use and manufacture of alcoholic beverages. This was the reason for the development of different methods of processing grapes during the Ottoman Empire. Juices were obtained from the fruits and marmalade was cooked, oriental sweets and dried fruits were prepared.
The new government that won in the twentieth century, led by Ataturk, lit the green light for winemaking, and new masters began to remember old secrets. And yet, despite the fourth place in the world in terms of the volume of grapes grown, only a quarter of the fruit goes to the needs of winemaking. Turkey's finished wines are exported to European countries and the Western Hemisphere.
Regions and varieties
The most prolific region of Turkey with the largest volume of grape fruits is the Aegean. The coast of the sea of the same name is the best place with an ideal microclimate for growing capricious vines. Considerable volumes are grown in Southeast and Central Anatolia and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
For the production of wine in Turkey, many white and red grape varieties are cultivated in the country, the most popular of which are:
- Akhmat Bey grapes. Dry ordinary wines are prepared from it. The peculiarities of these drinks are democratic prices and confident quality.
- Gewurztraminer is a berry variety that makes it possible to obtain blended white wines with a rich bouquet of aromas and a spicy taste.
- Riesling for the production of ideal white Turkish wines with bright citrus notes and aftertastes of apple, pineapple and peach. With age, Turkish Riesling enhances the honey color and becomes especially tasty.
- Chardonnay variety with a generous lemon aroma, the wine from which is infused in oak containers to give it a special nutty flavor.
- Merlot is the second most common variety in the world. Despite their popularity, these fruits make it possible to prepare wines with unique organoleptic properties. Turkish wines from Merlot grapes have a luxurious fruity taste with notes of caramel, chocolate and even coffee.
