• The History of Wine in Anatolia • Five Local indigenous grapes • Tasting wines made from these varieties
The History of Wine in Anatolia from the Bronze Age to the Turkish Republic
• Archeology and linguistics show that Southern Eastern Anatolia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates, is the oldest place where domesticated vines are located. • The Noah Hypothesis • The Fertile Crescent
The first traces of viticulture and winemaking in South Eastern Anatolia date back 8,000 years. Wine had an indispensable role in the social lives of the oldest civilizations of Anatolia: the Hattis and the Hittites. It was the primary libation offered to the gods during rituals attended by royalty and high governors. Provisions protecting viticulture in Hittite law, and the custom of celebrating each vintage with a holiday, suggest that wine was important to both ancient economies and ancient cultural practices.
Hittite Decanters
Tarhu
King Varpalavas
How Hittites call wine?
“viyana”
Today
Facts and Figures about the Turkish Wine Market (2010)
• The total alcoholic beverage production in Turkey is 1,046 mio litres. • Wine consumption constitutes 7% of total alcoholic beverage consumption. • The others are: Beer 57%, Rakı 25%, Vodka 5% and Other 8% . • Turkey’s Wine Production is around 80 mio litres per year. • Wine exports are $7,800,000 annualy • Turkey is the fourth largest grape-growing area at 505,000 ha • In Turkey around 2% of total grape production is used for wine making. • The consumption per capita is around 1 litre per annum.
Pronunciation: Eh-mere ORIGIN Mid-Southern Anatolia (Nevşehir / Cappadocia)
Pronunciation: Eh-mere
GENERAL INFORMATION
• Emir is a native white grape of Cappadocia and most of the grapes are planted in the Nevşehir province. It acquired its name (Emir = Ruler / Lord), from the fact that it was a quite popular wine at the local lords’ tables. It has been used since the Roman times to make