‘Aci’ means bitter in Turkish. When we say bitter, we think of bitterness as a kind of taste. If we are only confined within the boundaries of this connotation, we can think of the Acıkara grape and the taste of the wine made from this grape consisting of bitterness. This would be the biggest injustice we can do to Acıkara wine. One of the quirks of our language, Turkish, is the meaning games we put on words and the richness they create. The word ‘aci’ has the task of adding power and depth to the name with which it is used, as well as the meaning it evokes. Bitter cold is a good example of this narrative. The bitter in the name of the Acıkara grape is also used to describe the darkness of black; meaning like coal, maybe even darker black. Let's remind it right here: Acikara pigment gives wine an extremely strong coloring feature; If you accidentally drip it on the cover, it is very difficult to remove.
Acikara is one of the wine grapes of Anatolian lands, the number of which we may never know exactly. Like out of sight, out of heart, it was lost in time. Re-emergence of the grape was pure luck. With the guidance of one of the shepherds grazing in the Elmali region, Burak Ozkan, one of the founders of Likya Wines, managed to reach an old Acıkara vine which was barely a stump. This stump had been the heart of a work that would last for many years. Trial plantings were made and the grapes obtained from the first harvest were examined in French laboratories at length. It is suggested that it is a grape with potential and that the studies should be continued. Likya followed this advice and produced a limited number of Acikara wines from the 2012 harvest. Likya continues to produce Acikara as the most popular wine of their Arkeo series.
Acikara does not have a high yield. In other words, it has a labor-intensive nature with a low production amount. Its acid level is higher than most red wines, and its color is almost opaque if you remember the beginning of the article. Acikara grape produces wines that both our country's and foreign wine experts respect and like. Elmali vineyards where Acikara vines are planted, are located at high altitudes. Expertise of Likya wines, terroir structure and the unique grape of Acikara make one of the most awarded wines of Turkey.
In the WAYANA Wine Menu, we continue to serve both the current harvest and many of the previous harvests of Acikara. That means there is chance to make an Acikara vertical tasting. While walking along a historical lane, our curious wine-loving friends can discover how Acikara has undergone changes over the years, and how the climatic conditions that change from year to year leave traces.
To learn more Acikara wine:
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https://thequirkycork.com/likya-acikara-2014/
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