A Spring Gathering in Güzelyurt

On Saturday, April 19, 2025, we had the pleasure of attending the eighth edition of GELVERİ’s annual April event, held at their production and living space in Güzelyurt, affectionately called “TAŞ MAHAL”.

For those not yet familiar with Gelveri, let’s start with a brief introduction.

Who is GELVERİ?

GELVERİ is a micro-winery operated by just two passionate individuals, Hacer and Udo, who have been producing wine for the past 15 years using traditional methods. Their philosophy is built on respect for both people and nature.

Their wines are crafted without additives, relying solely on what the grape is willing to offer. This pure and minimalist approach places them near the heart of what many consider natural wine, even though the term has no formal definition.

A Production Philosophy in Harmony with Nature

What does being near the center of natural winemaking look like for Gelveri?

• No pesticides are used in the vineyard. The fact that they are located in Cappadocia is a great advantage, as the phylloxera louse cannot survive in the local soils.
• They don’t chase high yields through industrial inputs. Vineyard care is essential, but synthetic interventions are deliberately avoided.
• Spontaneous fermentation is key. Instead of commercial yeasts, they rely on the wild yeasts found on grape skins and in their facility.
• Clay amphorae are used for fermentation and aging, honoring a winemaking method that dates back thousands of years.

What Is the Symposium About?

Each year, GELVERİ hosts this symposium to taste wines made from the previous year’s harvest—before they are bottled or released to the market. Samples are taken directly from the amphorae, allowing guests to experience the wines at their rawest, most honest stage.

It’s a day full of conversations, community, and discovery, bringing together professionals and wine lovers who value Gelveri’s philosophy.

Udo Hirsch’s Opening Address

The opening talk was delivered by Udo Hirsch, the visionary behind the GELVERİ project. We had the opportunity to speak with him the evening before the event, where many of the same themes came up in conversation. Udo reflected on the past two years and the transformations within the wine world—especially the global decline in both production and consumption. According to him, the panic felt today is actually the outcome of 70 years of systemic change, culminating in a structural rupture in the industry.

He believes this break is dividing the wine world into two paths:

• 1. Those who pursue authentic wine, where the grape’s identity takes center stage.
• 2. Those who respond to consumer expectations, prioritizing flavor and consistency over origin and content.
• At the heart of this divide, Udo identifies two criteria: • QUALITY, the ancestral principle passed down through generations • TASTE, the modern metric shaped by point-based rating systems—often leading to uniformity in wines
  1. Kaliteye dayalı, üzümün karakterini yansıtan “gerçek şarap” üreticileri
  2. Tüketici zevkine ve puan sistemine odaklanan, lezzet merkezli ürünler sunan üreticiler

He illustrated this with an example: Some Spanish producers are currently storing millions of liters of wine, waiting for “better market days” because they cannot sell them today for more than €0.25 per liter.

A Closer Look at the Global Wine Industry

Let’s explore Udo’s analysis further and look at the broader context of the wine industry:

• Between 2023 and 2024, global wine production and consumption both declined.
• Facing oversupply, producers are cutting back on production to reduce surplus.
• In France, the government began buying surplus wine at fixed prices to support farmers and introduced incentives to temporarily fallow some vineyard areas.
• U.S. tariffs introduced during the Trump administration continue to affect the European wine export market, especially for France, Italy, and Spain.

What About Turkey?

According to Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture:

• 2022 yılında 77 milyon litre olan şarap üretimi, 2023 ve 2024’te yaklaşık %20 düştü.
• • Exports fell from 2.7 million liters in 2022 to just 200,000 liters in 2024.
• • Imports, meanwhile, have continued to rise. European producers seeking alternatives to the U.S. market are now putting pressure on Turkish import channels.

Who Will Survive This Storm?

So, who will weather this volatile period best?

• Large-scale producers face the biggest challenges due to their capital-intensive operations and the unpredictability of market recovery.
• Exports fell from 2.7 million liters in 2022 to just 200,000 liters in 2024.
• Imports, meanwhile, have continued to rise. European producers seeking alternatives to the U.S. market are now putting pressure on Turkish import channels.

Final Word

What began as an account of Gelveri’s annual symposium grew into an exploration of the wine world’s current crises and shifting realities.

Yes, the landscape is turbulent. But it also holds potential for those who remain authentic, attentive, and intentional.

We hope this article leaves you not discouraged—but inspired.Because where there is wine, there is always hope. 🍷