Wine Culture in Cappadocia

Do you only know Cappadocia from hot air balloons, fairy chimneys, or everyday activities like horseback riding? Cappadocia has an older and more fascinating culture! What is it?

While Cappadocia is known for its fairy chimneys, hot air balloon rides, and day tours, it also has another rich culture dating back 3000 years that is gaining popularity as an alternative tourism option: WINE.

The Cappadocia region holds a significant position in grape cultivation. This is due to the region being situated on volcanic soil (Özgül Katlav et al., 2019). This type of soil structure is ideal for grape yield.

Thousands of years ago, societies that discovered this cultivated grapes in these areas, held harvest festivals, and produced wine. Furthermore, even before Christ, wine was used as a ritual tool in religion. For example, scenes of offering wine to the gods are commonly seen on seal impressions found in Kültepe (Kaniş) (2000-1750 BC) near Kayseri. Grape harvest festivals were also among the religious holidays of the Hittites. Tablets found use the same word (Sumerian ideogram Gestin, Hittite wiyana) for grape, vine, and wine, and mention various types of wine (new, fresh wine; old, aged wine; sour wine; sweet wine; good wine; pure, clean wine; red wine, etc.). This shows that for the Hittites, wine was not only consumed but also held significant religious and cultural importance (https://www.iwsa.com.tr).

Hittite tablets also show that Hittite laws contained provisions related to "vineyards," "vine cuttings," and "wine," as well as articles concerning compensation for damages to vineyards. Contracts also included clauses stipulating that payments (taxes) would be made during the grape harvest season.

A letter from the Hittite king himself to the city governor requests that the grapes be harvested on time to avoid damage from delays. Another letter states that the grapes have reached the desired ripeness and requests that people be sent from the capital for the harvest. The fact that such letters were sent directly by the king reveals the importance the Hittites placed on grapes and their cultivation.

Avanos district in the Cappadocia region also holds a significant position in terms of wine production. Before the restrictions became so severe, the local people used to make their own wine, and everyone would taste it and exchange ideas. An international wine festival was held from September 19-21, 2003, with participation from approximately 22 countries. Going further back, wine vessels found at Zank Höyük in Avanos district in 1990 have been shown to date back to the Hittites (Genç & Şengül, 2016).

Wine in the Cappadocia Region in the 21st Century.

First of all, there are two major producers in the Cappadocia region: Turasan and Kocabağ. Speaking of wine culture, of course, not every wine is of high quality and reflects the culture. There are also many low-quality wine producers in the region who tarnish the region's wine culture, only seeking to make a quick profit and exploiting people's lack of knowledge. In this regard, it's fair to say that the producers I mentioned above generally maintain quality and continue to reflect and preserve the region's culture. The white Emir grape, in particular, is the region's native grape variety. It produces a very smooth and delicious wine. Besides Emir, the region also produces wines from white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Narince; and red grapes such as Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, Kalecik Karası, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

After producing wine, a crucial step is understanding the wine and being able to explain its culture. Based on my own experience (Salkım Wine House) with wine tourists in the Cappadocia region, the best explanation I can give is that my private tasting events, which are detailed and explanatory, are generally preferred by foreigners. This is because foreigners are more interested in learning about the culture and details of wine than simply tasting it. I offer free tastings and explanations for our Turkish guests, but a detailed event lasts an hour, which can be too long for them. Of course, a small number of our local guests also request private tasting events. At the end of these tastings, they learn a lot about wine in a short time. This significantly contributes to the development and advancement of wine culture. Because, just as high-quality food and beverages are important, their effective promotion can attract potential tourists who want to experience those products to a destination. In the case of Cappadocia, one of these products is wine, a drink with thousands of years of history, considered sacred in the past.

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