Büyülübağ Meltemi Bringing a Breath of Fresh Air to Avşa
Label designs for wine is a big business. As with any company working on its marketing plan, a winery has to decide how it wants to present itself. Do they have an old-school Schloss or Chateau vibe? Do they want people to think of them as young, fresh, or unpretentious? Depending on the vibe they’re going for, a winery might have a whole concept and their labels reflect one specific style. Or maybe they have (sometimes wildly) different styles for different wine series.
And then there are the times when a winery, with a very specific label style, releases a new line with entirely new branding. That’s what happened this year with Büyülübağ’s very island-focused new label: Meltemi. The new Büyülübağ Meltemi line has brought a breath of fresh air both to the winery and to Avşa.
Büyülübağ
With its unique microclimate Avşa Island, located inland on the Marmara Sea, has a history of winemaking since 1800s. Alp Törüner founded his winery Büyülübağ in 2003 to continue this history and produce top quality wines. He has a deep connection with both the island and its winemaking history. His maternal grandfather had a farm on the island where he grew a variety of crops and did hobby winemaking and Alp spent boyhood summers on the island helping his grandfather.
In addition to sourcing grapes from Çeşmeli (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and Denizli (Boğazkere, Öküzgözü, and Sultaniye), Büyülübağ is home to 20 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the island’s own grape: Adakarası.
Avşa is a solid granite island in the middle of the Sea of Marmara. It enjoys winds some 300 days a year and Büyülübağ’s vineyards are planted on northeast facing slopes to take advantage of them. Grapes are dry farmed and while the winery has not pursued a certification, it employs organic practices in the field. Because the winds keep away most pests, the winery only occasionally uses sulphur and copper on the vines.
Avşa Adakarası
Thanks to efforts from the Erdek Chamber of Commerce, the Marmara District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and others, in May 2025, Avşa Adakarası became Turkey’s first, EU-approved Geographically Indicated wine!
Many of Turkey’s black grapes have the name ‘Something Karası’ usually translating as ‘the black of Place X’. Adakarası is no exception and is appropriately named “the black of the island.” The story of Adakarası has its presence on the Marmara Sea island Avşa dating back to the 1800s when Greek inhabitants of the Marmara archipelago brought it to the island. Since then, Adakarası has adapted well to fit its name and the terroir of Avşa.
The thick-skinned, medium-sized, purple-black berries grow in tightly packed bunches. Grown on goblet-style vines in the decomposed granite soils of the island, the grapes demonstrate remarkable disease resistance. Helped, no doubt, by the meltemi.
What the Heck Are the Meltemi?
The Meltemi (meltem in the singular) are powerful seasonal winds that sweep down from the Bosphorus and across much of the Aegean Sea. They’re an annual phenomenon that typically occurs between May and October, with peak intensity during the summer months—especially in July and August. While their strength can vary, the winds are usually strongest in the afternoons and tend to ease by evening. However, in some areas, they can persist for days or even weeks at a time.
These winds can begin suddenly, often with little or no warning, and when at their strongest, they have been known to disrupt public ferries and even cruise ship schedules!
Though the Meltemi can create challenging conditions for sailing, they also bring relief from the summer heat, offering cooler temperatures, low humidity, and clear skies with excellent visibility. And while they may cause problems for travelers and sailors, the winds are often welcomed by wineries.
While grapes need heat to ripen, summer heat in the Marmara and Aegean areas can be unbearable for people and grapes alike. The cool Meltemi wind, coming from the north, blows mostly during the growing season, helping to lower temperatures and allowing for slower ripening of grapes.
Update: I recently learned that this series isn’t actually named after the winds – although that’s totally still appropriate for wines coming from this island! Alp’s wife’s name is Meltemi and the wines are named for her. Very sweet.
Büyülübağ Meltemi Adakarası Rosé, 2023
Before we get into the wine, can we talk about how fantastic are the labels for the new Büyülübağ Meltemi series?? Büyülübağ has traditionally had very, let’s call them straightforward labels – both in series name and design. I love seeing this more playful design with a fun and appropriate name.
Adakarası is one of my favorite Turkish grapes for making rosé. It’s actually one of my favorite Turkish grapes full stop, so it’s new status as a GI wine makes me extra happy. My taste in rosé wines leans far away from the easy to drink, summer fruits tasting wines and into wines that are more savory, acidic, and structured. All of which Adakarası delivers.
Whole bunch direct pressed to help mitigate some of the grape’s tannic nature, the Büyülübağ Meltemi Adakarası rosé offers red fruits like cranberry, currant, and tart rhubarb brushed with wild thyme and rolled in salt. A textured palate with lots of juicy, mouthwatering acidity, savory-fruity notes, and splashes of lemon. Medium-bodied with 13.1% ABV, it’s a charming wine to sip on its own, but will pair well with a variety of foods. I was quite surprised by how well it paired with a spicy curry I made that included hot wiri wiri peppers!
Definitely a wine to add to your summer sipping list!
Look for it at places like Vina Wine and More, Iyi Sarap, Carrefour, Macro Center, Solera, Vinus, maybe Metro … all the usual Büyülübağ spots.
Visiting Büyülübağ
Büyülübağ is open to visitors. You can tour the winery, do a wine tasting, and order wine by the glass or bottle to sip in their lovely garden. Make sure to call for a reservation first. You can reach the winery at: +90 549 370 00 17.
Getting to and Around Avşa
Year-round boats which can accommodate cars from Tekirdağ (on the northern/European coast of the Sea of Marmara) with Marmara Ro-Ro, and Erdek (on the southern/Asian coast of the Sea of Marmara) with Gestaş.
There are also passenger boats with IDO available during the summer directly from Istanbul. These take about 3.5 hrs each way, so this is not really a day trip kind of island.
Once on the island, if you’ve come without your own car, you can take buses or a dolmuş from Avşa’s main square in town and travel around the island. It’s not a huge island, so you can walk…but be prepared for a good amount of walking. Make sure you have water with you as some parts of the island are quite rural and it could be miles before you come across a business or people.
What to See and Do on Avşa
Of course number one is to visit Büyülübağ!
There is not, otherwise, a ton to do on the island, regardless of season. You could bike around, and/or go for long walks (again, don’t forget your water). Being as it is an island, there are plentiful beaches – both public and private. If you’re visiting during the intense heat of the summer, you’ll definitely want to check out a couple of those!
You can also explore the main strip of Avşa town. Don’t miss the fish market stalls by the ferry port where you can pick up the day’s fresh catch to cook on a mangal (barbeque).
My best advice is to head to Avşa with a couple books and plans to relax and unplug for a day or two with a nice bottle of wine.
Staying on the Island
While there are ferries that run year-round, the island isn’t widely open the same amount of time. During high-season (i.e. summer) hotels are plentiful and fill up fast. But many of them close for off season. I can speak from experience when I advise you to always make your booking directly with the hotel, especially during low season. If you make your booking with a third party website, you might show up to the island to find that your hotel is closed!
This isn’t the only rosé Büyülübağ makes with Adakarası. I’ve love been a fan of the winery’s İris Adakarası rosé. Don’t miss that or my other reviews of Büyülübağ’s wines!
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