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Turkish Wine Routes Part Four: Thrace

 

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I have chosen to tackle the Trakya Bağ Rotası (Thrace Wine Route) last because I find it the most frustrating.

The Trakya Bağ Rotası was the first of all the established wine routes in Turkey. Membership includes wineries Like Arda in upper Thrace in Edirne (near the Bulgarian/Greek borders) all the way to Suvla at the tippy tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Technically, all these wineries are indeed in Thrace. Geographically anyway. And yet. Edirne and neighboring districts Kırklareli and Tekirdağ are significantly more northerly, colder, and snowier. While Tekirdağ based wineries (such as Chateau Nuzun, Barbare, etc.) do experience some benefits from their proximity to the Sea of Marmara, they still do so at much lower temps than wineries closer to Şarköy and more so still than the wineries on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

However, I did not make the wine route. And while I may be writing the book, until that day the wineries stay in the regions in which they organized themselves (in which geography trumps climate).

Trakya Bağ Rotası

As mentioned above, the Trakya Bağ Rotası was the first regional wine route. Like the İç Ege Bağ Rotası, the route covers a huge area. A really ambitious person could maybe do the whole shebang in three days. A sensible person would allow five. And someone without a wish for alcohol poisoning (or fear of driving off a cliff!) would take a full week. Luckily, many of the wineries along this route have restaurants and/or guest houses.

The easiest way to take this route is to break it up into overarching geographic chunks which include the cities/districts of: Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, Şarköy, and Gelibolu.

Edirne

Edirne, previously Adrionople, is famous in Turkey for its oil wresting, the Selimiye Mosque built by architect Mimar Sinan, and its liver. Oil wresting happens in April only but the ethnographic museum there has a weird/creepy/wonderful 3-D presentation on it. The mosque is lovely (as are some of the smaller ones in the city). But I can’t vouch for the liver. I have a ban on organ meat.

Family-owned Arda Vineyards is a labor of love for the Saç family. Family patriarch Ilyas Saç established the winery in 2007. Daughter Seniz is the lead winemaker and son Yavuz and his wife Bahar run it. While Arda produces a bit too much wine annually to classify as “boutique,” the family runs the winery with a boutique heart. As Bahar told us once, they’re so hands on and involved in every level that she’s the one mopping the floors every day. Since its opening, the winery has added a restaurant to the premises where all their lovely wines can be enjoyed with local specialties.

While also family-owned, the Edrine winery has a very different feel to it. The Öktem family are business-minded and wine is a business to them. With a two million liter capacity, Edrine pumps out a fair amount of wine every year. Happily, much of it pairs well with the food on offer at the onsite Edrinet Restaurant. I highly recommend the winery’s Papazkarası-based wines and the sucuk sausage (if not together). 

Kırklareli

Kırklareli, the name supposedly a bastardization of the old Greek name of “forty churches” for the region, is a combination of pastoral and industrial. What makes it special is its inclusion of the Strandja Mountains. This ancient mountain range is home to an abundance of different soil types, many of which are quartz heavy, that lend that special something to the wines made on and below its slopes. Wineries here include:

If Turkey has an experimental winery, it’s name is Chamlija. This winery is not only doing some great things with domestic grapes (particularly Papazkarası) but also has a collection of international grapes not seen elsewhere in Turkey (Albariño, Riesling, Assyrtiko, and Xinomavro). Chamlija also likes to push the envelope with winemaking techniques and styles doing everything from whole bunch fermentations to skin contact white wines.

Arcadia was one of the very first wineries to offer not only a restaurant but a hotel. The restaurant, which has only one dinner seating per day, offers ever changing dishes created from locally (in not estate) sourced foods and wine pairing suggestions. In my opinion, it’s worth the visit to Arcadia for its sparkling wine alone. The winery recently debuted Nareen, a traditional method sparking wine made from the Turkish grape Narince. Produced in tiny tiny quantities the wine is available only at the winery. It is stunning.

At Vino Dessera, the goal is affordable luxury. Wines here offer some of the country’s best quality/price ratio. Working largely with international grapes, it’s also home to Turkey’s only Barbera-based wine. If you’re looking for unpretentious and relaxed, this is your winery. The winery, owner, and staff are all super laid back. And if you’re enjoying yourself a little much (is there such a thing?) Vino Dessera has a guest house! I especially recommend the (dry) Muscat of Alexandria and signature 190 red blend.

Like its neighbor Vino Dessera (almost across the street!) Saranta works largely with international grapes. With a soon-to-be-opened, luxurious hotel, Saranta will become an amazing place from which to base a long weekend of winery visits. This winery is also responsible for a couple of my favorite wines. Producing under two labels, Saranta and Chateau Murou, I highly recommend the stunning Semillon, unoaked Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc.

One of the driving forces behind this wine route and the best Turkish consulting winemaker in the country, Akın Gürbüz only recently opened his own winery. The winery and restaurant are based in Kırklareli, in fact he and Chamlija are neighbors. However, while his winery is in Kırklareli, Gürbüz sources grapes from both his own vineyards and contracted growers around Şarköy. I highly recommend his series of Sauvignon Blanc wines that show off terroir from different vineyards around Şarköy.

Tekirdağ

While Tekirdağ does sit along the Sea of Marmara, its more northerly location (about two hours from Istanbul) keep temperatures lower than neighboring district Şarköy. While in Tekirdağ, don’t miss the chance to walk around and take in traditional Ottoman wooden houses, the Tekirdağ Museum of Archaeology, and try the Tekirdağ köftesi (meatballs) and semolina pudding.

Wineries in this area include:

Chateau Nuzun was one of the first wineries to use organic grapes in wine production. Run by the charming Nazan Uzun (N+Uzun = Nuzun), Chateau Nuzun turns out only red and pink wines. Her wines are not inexpensive but are well worth any price tag on them. She is one of the few winemakers in Turkey to not only understand the value of, but follow through with extended cellaring prior to releasing wines. Her eponymous mono reds and blends are usually not released until six to seven years after harvest and drink beautifully for years after.

Proud hometown boy, Barkın Akın took his family winery, Barel and turned it into the hotspot in Tekirdağ. In the summer visitors to the onsite restaurant can enjoy outdoor seating under huge shady trees and in the winter the indoor, windowed restaurant is made cozy with a huge fire place. Like the folks at Vino Dessera, Akın believes that wine should not be priced out of reach and that anyone should be able to afford a decent bottle. Barel wines cover several price categories but all of them reasonable and all the wine quaffable.

There are no populist illusions at Barbare winery. While the wines here also cover several price categories, Barbare’s top shelf wines can be very pricey for the local economy. But oh so worth it. Named for infamous pirate Red Beard, Barbare winery uses organic grapes and specializes not in the popular Bordeaux grapes, but to a style more reminiscent of the Cote du Rhone’s Grenache Syrah Mourvedre blends. Barbare is also one of the few wineries in Turkey to release non vintage blends. With onsite restaurant and hotel, this is a not to be missed winery, be it simply for a tasting, for a meal, or for the night.

Umurbey (literally Mr. Umur) is not only one of Turkey’s very first boutique quality wineries, it also produced one of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the country. Umur bey does not want to be known for only his white wine. And while he’s most famous for that, his reds are lovely too. Umurbey winery isn’t set up to receive visitors but you can make an appointment to visit or stop in to the Umurbey Wine House in downtown Tekirdağ.

Şarköy

A little farther down the coast of the Marmara is warm and sunny Şarköy. While only two Şarköy-based wineries participate in the wine route, there are many more worth visiting. Şarköy has long been a hotbed of winemaking in Turkey, stretching back to the Ottoman period and before. Many of the wineries here sit directly on the water. A strategic position back in the day when ships would moor in front of them to load wine directly on board before sailing off. Participating wineries include:

Melen is an older family winery that has been around for decades. Their wines run the gamut from run of the mill, to pretty good for price, to iiiinteresting. With a huge range of grapes on offer, from rare Turkish Kolorko to Sangiovese, there’s something for everyone here. Reservations are required to tour the winery but the store front (same location) is open for business.

Gülor like Umurbey spearheaded the quality wine rise in Turkey. Now grown far too large for its claims of “boutique” the winery nonetheless offers a wide selection of wines, some success others not so much. I particularly enjoy their native and international blends like the Ӧküzgözü  Petit Verdot. I think you need an in with someone for a tour though. We called the winery tour number (and several others) quite a few times but never got through to anyone who would talk to us.

Chateau Kalpak sits more inland than the previous two wineries. But for all that the views across the Marmara it enjoys are stunning. Chateau Kalpak specializes in Bordeaux style blends and if that’s your bag they are some of the country’s best. Occasionally you can even get a rare bottle of a mono Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. Definitely call for reservations before your visit.

Gelibolu

For foreigners, Gelibolu is perhaps better known as the Gallipoli Peninsula. The peninsula juts out from the rest of Thrace forming a barrier along the Dardanelles between the Aegean and Marmara seas. Vineyards here take advantage of breezes from both seas and a largely temperate climate.

Of course other than winerying, the thing to do here is visit cemeteries and memorials from the battles fought here. You can also hop on a ferry to cross over to the Asian side of Çanakkale and see the Trojan Horse replica gifted to Turkey after Hollywood’s horrid misstep with that movie. I’m sure Turkey was happier with the souvenir than they were with the movie. Participating wineries here include:

Gali winery, which prides itself on its Pomerol–style Merlot-based wines is home to stunning views of the Marmara from its high elevation. However, be warned. The winery is located on a military base. And finding the right military base isn’t easy since the peninsula is dotted with them. Especially if you don’t speak Turkish, I recommend booking a visit to this winery via Winerist.

Porta Caeli winery is home to stunning landscape and a large hotel. It is overly proud to be the only winery in Turkey working with (in)famous flying winemaker/consultant Michele Roland. If you’ve ever had one of Roalnd’s wines you can easily skip this winery.

Suvla, with its onsite restaurant and wine shop, is a great stop. Although-while I love that Suvla does wine flights (a rarity in Turkey)-I do not love the restaurant’s notorious lack of good service. Be prepared for long waits and a sudden talent for invisibility here. However, if you have the patience to deal with it, Suvla is worth the stop. The company makes a huge selection of wines with both native and international varieties. And may I once again point out that they offer wine flights!!

 

Catch up with the rest of this series with:

Part One: Urla Wine Route

Part Two: Inner Aegean

Part Three: South Izmir