Turkish wine sees its salvation in export

Escorted by her Italian oenologist to her vineyards in Thrace, in north-west Turkey, Zeynep Arca Salliel senses that it is time to harvest.

The fifty-year-old became a winegrower in the 2000s, after the abandonment of the state monopoly on alcohol sales which favored large producers.

Today, his Arcadia estate releases 120,000 to 150,000 bottles per year, from local and foreign grape varieties. But this passion is fraught with obstacles.

“The changing climate, the economic crisis, imported equipment – ​​paid in euros – and the lack of visibility of Turkish wines…”, she lists.

“We produce quality wines, but we have difficulty selling them here and exporting.”

Like all the other winegrowers she met, she still cites taxes, meddlesome bureaucracy and sometimes ludicrous laws that are killing their production.

Like Zeynep Arca Salliel, a whole generation of newcomers, including many women, often trained abroad and committed to quality, has sparked a wine renaissance in Turkey, explains sommelier and consultant Göknur Gündogan.

Turkey has around 250 estates “half of which are quality”, she estimates.

Alongside the “international” grape varieties, cabernet, sauvignon, merlot, Turkish winegrowers are experimenting with local varieties, narince, kolorko, papaskarasi… Even the oldest and biggest houses in the sector have gotten involved.

Anatolian heritage

Of the thousand indigenous grape varieties identified by the famous French ampelographer Pierre Galet, around fifteen are cultivated for wine, estimates M^me Gundogan. With success.

“When the international critics came in 2009, out of around fifty wines, we had six local grape varieties to present to them: today, we offer 85 wines, all from indigenous grape varieties,” proudly notes architect Umay Çeviker, founder of Yaban Kolektif dedicated to preserving Anatolia’s wine heritage.

“Between 2002 and 2013, it was happiness! », summarizes Göknur Gündogan but on this date the ban on all advertising, promotion, tasting and even harvest festivals fell.

Turkey, the centuries-old cradle of vines and wine, led by Islamoconservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “does not want Turks to consume it,” summarizes the expert.

“We cannot do any promotion. We are even afraid to post a photo on Instagram,” admits Metin Harbalioglu who, at 50, is nevertheless starting a new winery in Thrace, Prius.

In addition to official inflation of 50% over the year, a VAT of 20% increases the bill and distracts consumers who drink on average one liter per person per year (40 l in France), or 6% of the consumption of alcohol in the country, far behind beer or raki, the local anisette.

Worse, since 2023, a law has required producers to provide a bank deposit to anticipate possible future fines during particularly meticulous monthly checks.

According to Zeynep Arca Salliel, the scale of deposits established according to the volumes produced varies from 500,000 to 15 million Turkish liras ($19,788 to $593,600), sums which exceed the income of many small estates.

Well kept secret

Founder of Pasaeli, Seyit Karagözoglu, 58 years old, was one of the pioneers to invest in around ten local grape varieties between Thrace and the Dardanelles, including kolorko, just saved from extinction. “There is enough Sauvignon or Chardonnay in the world,” he smiles.

An importer of wines and spirits, it benefits from the network to export to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Emirates: its bottles are therefore exempt from Turkish VAT.

But he regrets the attitude of the authorities: “It’s too difficult for the new generation. We are already hearing about cellars closing,” he assures, listing a few names.

“It all comes down to taxes and regulations with big fines. But quality does not interest them,” continues Umay Çeviker. “You can write anything on your labels, no one will come and check.”

Yet the quality is there, swears the Italian oenologist from Arcadia, Andrea Paoletti, who arrived in Turkey twenty years ago to work at Pasaeli: for him, “the future of Turkish wines lies on the international market. They need to make themselves known.”

“Alas, we remain a well-kept secret,” laments Zeynep Arca Salliel.

Of the 78 million liters produced in 2021, 1.8 million were exported, according to official statistics. Fifth world producer of grapes, the country is 51^e wine exporter.

But Göknur Gündogan remains confident: “Even under the Ottomans, despite the prohibition, Turkey never turned its back on wine. We can change the system, not the mentality,” she believes.