Turkish Wine Glossary

The Turkish word for wine, derived from the Arabic "sharab" (drink). You will see this word on every Turkish wine label. Turkey's modern wine industry produces approximately 60-70 million liters of şarap annually.

Literally "red wine." The majority of Turkey's quality wine production is kırmızı şarap, led by Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, and Kalecik Karası. Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia are the heartlands of Turkish red winemaking.

Literally "white wine." Turkish beyaz şarap is gaining international attention, particularly Narince from Tokat and Emir from Cappadocia. The Aegean coast also produces excellent whites from Bornova Misketi and Sultaniye.

Turkish rose wines are an emerging category, with excellent examples made from Kalecik Karası, Çal Karası, and Öküzgözü. The dry, Provencal style is increasingly popular among Turkish producers.

The Turkish word for vineyard. Turkey has the world's 5th largest vineyard area, over 400,000 hectares of bağ, though only 2-3% of production goes to wine. The rest becomes table grapes, raisins, or pekmez.

The art and science of growing grapes. Turkish bağcılık stretches back roughly 7,000 years to the Neolithic period. The Hittites, who ruled Anatolia around 1600 BCE, had detailed laws governing vineyard management and grape cultivation.

The Turkish word for grape. Turkey grows more than 600 indigenous üzüm varieties, making it one of the most genetically diverse grape-growing countries on Earth. Of these, approximately 65 are used in commercial wine production.

A wine cellar or underground storage space. In Cappadocia, ancient mahzen carved directly into volcanic tuff provided naturally temperature-controlled environments for wine storage, some dating back thousands of years and still in use today.

A wine barrel used for aging. Modern Turkish winemakers use both French and American oak fıçı, as well as traditional methods. Many producers carefully balance oak influence to let indigenous grape character shine through.

A wine bottle. Turkish wine şişe typically follow the Bordeaux shape for reds and the Burgundy shape for whites, though some producers use distinctive bottles to differentiate their brands.

A wine glass or drinking goblet. In Turkish dining culture, the kadeh is part of the communal table experience, with wine poured generously alongside meze, conversation, and hospitality.

Indicates a dry wine with minimal residual sugar. The vast majority of Turkey's quality wines are sek. You will see this term on labels to distinguish from sweeter styles.

Indicates a sweet wine. While most Turkish wine is dry, some producers make tatlı wines from late-harvest grapes, particularly from aromatic varieties like Muscat and Narince.

Indicates an off-dry or semi-sweet wine with moderate residual sugar. Some entry-level Turkish wines are made in yarı tatlı style to appeal to a broader domestic market.

Used for sparkling wines with very low residual sugar. A small but growing number of Turkish producers are making brüt sparkling wines using both traditional method and tank method, often from Emir or international varieties.

The grape harvest. In Turkey, hasat typically takes place between August and October depending on the region and altitude. High-altitude vineyards in Cappadocia and Çal often harvest later, extending into mid-October.

Indicates a wine that has been aged, whether in barrel or bottle. Some Turkish producers use "yıllanmış" on labels to signal reserve-quality wines that have undergone extended aging before release.

The art of making wine. Modern Turkish şarapçılık blends French and New World techniques with indigenous knowledge; many leading Turkish winemakers trained in Bordeaux, Burgundy, or California before returning to work with Turkish grapes.

Your tasting palate. In Turkish wine culture, developing your damak means training your palate to appreciate the distinct flavors of indigenous varieties: the cherry-plum burst of Öküzgözü, the tannic grip of Boğazkere, the mineral freshness of Emir.

A designated wine-producing region. Turkey's major bağ bölgesi areas include the Aegean coast, Cappadocia, Thrace, Eastern Anatolia, Central Anatolia, and the southeastern Çal plateau. Each offers a dramatically different terroir.

A high-altitude plateau, common across Anatolia. Many of Turkey's finest vineyards sit on yayla at 800-1,200 meters elevation, where large diurnal temperature swings preserve grape acidity while allowing sugars to develop slowly and flavors to concentrate.

Turkey is a mountainous country with an average elevation of over 1,100 meters. Mountain viticulture is a defining feature of Turkish wine, from the Taurus mountains framing the Aegean coast to the volcanic peaks of Cappadocia.

Rivers carve the valleys where many Turkish vineyards thrive. The Kızılırmak (Red River) winds through Tokat's Narince vineyards; the Fırat (Euphrates) flows through Eastern Anatolia's Öküzgözü heartland. River valleys moderate temperatures and create favorable microclimates.

Turkey is bounded by four seas: the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Sea of Marmara. Maritime influence shapes coastal wine regions, moderating temperatures and providing the humidity that balances the Aegean coast's intense sunshine.

Soil composition is critical to Turkish wine character. Turkey's toprak ranges from volcanic tuff in Cappadocia to limestone and clay in the Aegean, alluvial deposits in river valleys, and chalky marl in Thrace. Each soil type imparts distinct mineral signatures.

Cappadocia's volkanik soils are among the most distinctive terroirs in the wine world. Ancient eruptions from Mount Erciyes deposited layers of tuff and ash that now give Emir its pronounced minerality and Kalecik Karası its distinctive earthiness.

Limestone soils are found across many Turkish wine regions, particularly in the Aegean and parts of Thrace. Kireçtaşı imparts a characteristic chalky minerality to wines and provides good drainage that forces vines to root deeply.

A flat, low-lying plain. In viticulture, ova-level vineyards tend to be warmer and more fertile. The best Turkish wines generally come from hillside or elevated sites rather than ova, where altitude and slope provide better drainage and sun exposure.

A hill. Many premium Turkish vineyards are planted on tepe slopes where air drainage reduces frost risk and angled sun exposure optimizes grape ripening. Hillside viticulture is especially important in the Aegean, where altitude tempers the coastal heat.

The universal Turkish toast, said while raising glasses and making eye contact. Literally means "to honor." When drinking Turkish wine, "Şerefe!" is the only toast you need to know. It is both a celebration and a gesture of respect.

A spread of small dishes served before or alongside the main course. Turkish meze (hummus, acılı ezme, white cheese, stuffed grape leaves, grilled halloumi) is the ideal companion for Turkish wine. Meze culture encourages slow, social drinking.

More than furniture, sofra represents the entire ritual of gathering to eat and drink together. In Turkish culture, the sofra is where hospitality happens. Wine is an essential part of many Turkish sofra, particularly in western Turkey and major cities.

Turkish hospitality culture holds the misafir (guest) as sacred. "Misafir umulmadık zamanda gelir" ("A guest comes at an unexpected time") is a proverb that speaks to the always-ready spirit of Turkish generosity, often expressed through shared food and wine.

A concept woven throughout Anatolian agricultural life. A bountiful harvest is a bereket, a blessing from the land. Turkish winemakers speak of bereket when describing vintages where the climate, soil, and vines aligned to produce something exceptional.

Turkish grilled meat in its many regional forms: Adana kebap (spiced ground meat), şiş kebap (skewered cubes), İskender kebap (over bread with tomato sauce). Kebap is a natural partner for Turkish reds: Öküzgözü with lamb, Boğazkere with spiced beef.

Turkey's national spirit, an anise-flavored distillation often called "lion's milk" when mixed with water. While rakı dominates Turkey's drinking culture, wine is experiencing a renaissance, particularly among younger, urban Turks and at modern meyhane (tavern) tables.

A thick, sweet syrup made by boiling down grape juice. Pekmez has been an Anatolian staple for millennia. It represents the "other" path for Turkish grapes; most of Turkey's enormous grape harvest becomes pekmez, table fruit, or raisins rather than wine.

A traditional Turkish tavern where meze and drinks flow freely. Meyhane culture is the beating heart of Turkish social drinking: long evenings of small plates, conversation, music, and clinking glasses. Many modern meyhane now feature curated Turkish wine lists alongside the classic rakı.

Said before, during, or after a meal, "afiyet olsun" is the universal Turkish blessing for eating and drinking. It is both a wish for enjoyment and good health. You may hear it from a waiter pouring your wine, a host presenting a dish, or a friend across the sofra.

The legendary Turkish breakfast, an elaborate spread of cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, honey, clotted cream, eggs, and bread. While wine is not traditionally part of kahvaltı, some modern Turkish brunch spots now offer sparkling wine pairings.

Olives are omnipresent on the Turkish table and in Turkish agriculture. The overlap between olive-growing and wine-growing regions, particularly the Aegean coast, speaks to the Mediterranean character of Turkish wine culture. Zeytin and şarap are natural companions.

Turkey produces a remarkable diversity of cheeses. Beyaz peynir (white cheese, similar to feta) is a staple meze item that pairs beautifully with crisp Turkish whites. Aged tulum peynir (aged in goatskin) matches the intensity of a robust Boğazkere.

The term for a winery or wine estate. Many Turkish producers include "şarap evi" or its shortened form in their brand names. There are approximately 75 şarap evi operating across Turkey today, up from fewer than 20 two decades ago.

Literally "vineyard house," used by some wineries to emphasize estate production: wines made from their own vineyards. A bağ evi designation signals a close connection between vineyard and cellar.

Indicates a winery's premium or reserve-level bottling. Özel seri wines typically come from the best vineyard parcels, receive longer oak aging, and are produced in limited quantities.

Indicates a limited-edition wine. Many boutique Turkish producers make small lots, sometimes fewer than 1,000 bottles, from single vineyards or experimental varieties. These limitli üretim wines are among the most sought-after in the Turkish market.

Turkey's system of geographical indications for wine, analogous to France's AOC or Italy's DOC. Regions like Cappadocia, Thrace, and the Aegean have established coğrafi işaret designations that specify permitted grape varieties, production methods, and geographic boundaries.