A Nice Intro to Sarı Vadi Bağları

November 19, 2025ByAndrea Lemieux 3 Comments 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

Disclaimer: I received these wines as samples but all opinions are my own.

While I’ve seen them on social media, I have yet to try any wines from the relatively new winery: Sarı Vadi Bağları. I was therefore delighted when the winery reached out to me and sent me samples of two of their wines.

Sarı Vadi Bağları

What began as a journey to California to source rice lead to a life in wine. Turgay Yetis business life revolved around rice. Surprisingly to many, rice is a large part of the agricultural sector in Turkey’s upper Thrace. Turgay established a business in Sacramento, establishing paddies and cultivating rice. All the while, nearby Napa Valley called to him.

The tranquility and slow rhythm of the valley itself; quiet luxury, elegant but never loud with fragrant breezes carrying hints of oak barrels, sun-warmed wines, and ripe Cabernet and Zinfandel grapes overwhelmed him. The rolling hills aglow with golden sunlight and long rows of vines in slow, perfect mornings inspired him to imagine and search for a similarly slow, warm, and sensual place in Turkey.

This dream took him to villages in upper Thrace where he began planting vines. His plots in the villages of Mercan and Sarıcaali sit in an area historically known as “Bağlık mevkii” or “a place of vine(yard)s” where vines have grown for centuries.

Initially, he meant to use his Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz grapes to make wine only as a hobby. Soon enough, that was not enough and by 2020, he established a fully professional winery: Sarı Vadi Bağları .

Sarı Vadi – Yellow Valley – vines grow in clay and loamy soil, lending wines a richness in body, tannin, and alcohol. Thus far, the wines have been well-received, winning multiple local wine competition (Turkish Wine Challenge and Sommelier’s Selection) awards.

Sarı Vadi Bağları Merlot, 2022

İpsala, in Edirne province, sits at a lower elevation than a lot of upper Thrace’s vineyards. Laying close to the Greek border, it enjoys a more Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool to cold, wet winters. The long growing season gives grapes a lot of time to reach peak ripeness.

The Sarı Vadi Merlot poured in plum tones with dark aromas of black cherry and berries with hints of spice and vanilla. A medium-bodied, mouth-filling wine with high alcohol at 14.8% ABV, and juicy acidity, the palate burst with more black cherry flavors, bay leaf, and cedar.

Sarı Vadi Bağları S-Shiraz, 2023

Shiraz – or Syrah, as you like – continues to be hugely popular in Turkey. As of the last numbers I saw, it was the most planted of all international grapes in Turkey. For a new winery looking to make a market entry, Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends are still a way to create sure early sales.

Densely colored, almost coating the glass, the nose on this was interesting. Lots of initial fruit with plum, mulberry, acai, and green peppercorn. Peach fuzz tannins and a 14% ABV contributed to the wine’s medium body, lifted by some decent acidity. Sipping revealed more dark fruits with the inclusion of a savory black olive note, decorated with potpourri.

Curious about Thracian wine? Read all about the region and producers in the second edition of my book, The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine!