The Growing Popularity of the Sky Grape: 7Bilgeler Vindemia Göküzüm
Since I wrote an extensive post about 7Bilgeler quite recently (including travel information for anyone wanting to visit!) I won’t rehash all that info here. We’re just going to dive right into this (previously) obscure grape and 7Bilgeler’s wine.
Gök, the Sky Grape
From the Mersin district in Turkey’s Mediterranean growing region comes the grape, Gök or Göküzüm. Mersin is far more well-known for its beaches and Mediterranean coastline than it is for grapes and wine, but this resort area’s hot climate isn’t where Gök makes its home. Grown in the Taurus mountains, high elevation helps mitigate the heat of the Mediterranean region. In mountain villages like Çömelek, Gök vines are old, 60-70 years or older. These old vines grow in traditional bushes and are often co-planted with other regional grape varieties.
For ages, locals have tended their Gök vines, in some cases for making wine at home, but also for use as table grapes, raisins, and molasses production. As the story goes, the grape got its name, which means ‘sky’ from the local method of hanging grapes in the rafters of homes to raisin without sun exposure. The grape didn’t start getting any attention as a commercial wine grape until local winery, Tasheli, cooperated with Umay Çeviker and Urla Şarapçılık for Urla’s 2017 Discovery Series (still some of the best labels we’ve seen in Turkey imo).
Since then, it was only Tasheli promoting this grape with its Gök white blend and Gök orange wines. Them something funny happened. Popular winery Heraki made a wine with Gök and 7Bilgeler, which over the last few years has jumped hard onto the native grape bandwagon, also released one. Interestingly, the same thing happened with Patkara – also previously only vinified by Tasheli and Selefkia.
Passing trend, or real interest in the otherwise overlooked, regional Mediterranean grapes? Since I’m generally happy to see more native grape production, regardless of what spurred it, I’ll take it. Let’s more on and talk about the 7Bilgeler iteration. 
7Bilgeler Vindemia Göküzüm, 2023
Made with grapes from old, ungrafted bush vines (as is common for this grape) and grown at 1150 meters above sea level in Çömelek village’s clay-limestone soils. 7Bilgeler doesn’t provide winemaking information on its labels. I’m confident there was no oak here, but MLF or some fine lees aging are possible.
Brilliant, medium-straw color in the glass with aromas of yellow fruit: pomelo, citrus skin, apple, and tropical hints. Round and silky on the palate with acidity hitting the back and a medium body with 13.5% ABV. Echoes of the same fruit profile from the nose wrapped up in a thread of Taurus Mountain minerality.
Nice, but not something I’d go back to at the 1100+ TL price-point. Unlike many wineries, 7Bilgeler is one of those that not less expensive when purchased directly.
Curious about this and some of Turkey’s other obscure grapes? Check out the downloadable Turkish Grape Infographics available!
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