On Sunday, February 23, 2025, we launched our new event series, PRODUCERS AT WAYANA, with our Bodrum-based producer, MOR SALKIM. The wines for this tasting were brought to us by the winery’s technical director, Umut. However, we soon realized that he had also brought a surprise along with him. This was our first encounter with Aksümbül wine.
The story that Umut shared with us begins in the vineyards of a major corporate firm that collaborates with Mor Salkım as part of a social responsibility project. In the Beypazarı vineyards, where they source their Kalecik Karası grapes, they noticed an unfamiliar grape variety. As Umut started monitoring this grape, he observed that its sugar and acidity levels made it suitable for winemaking. In the 2024 harvest season, he decided to process around two tons of this grape, leading to the production of the wine that has now reached us.
Aksümbül Wine: A Discovery in Every Sip
As soon as Aksümbül wine reached us, we eagerly took our first sip. What we encountered was a wine full of surprises—bright acidity, floral aromas on the nose, and a tannic structure that carried the bitterness of citrus peel on the palate. Intrigued by its unique profile, we immediately set out to gather information about Aksümbül. But to our surprise, there was nothing—no references, no records, not even a fellow wine enthusiast who had heard of or accidentally made wine from this grape before.
We turned to the Mor Salkım team to ask if this grape had any other known names. They told us that it is also referred to as Akpüskül in the region. A respected wine expert we consulted confirmed that they had heard of Akpüskül before but had never come across it being used for winemaking. However, among the scattered pieces of information we managed to collect, some intriguing details stood out.
Aksümbül: A Rare and Untamed Vine
One of the first things we noticed about the vines in these vineyards was that they were not trained on trellises, as we are accustomed to seeing in modern viticulture. Instead, they were grown in the gobelet (bush vine) style, close to the ground. Even more exciting was the fact that these vines were growing on their own original roots, without being grafted onto American rootstocks. This alone makes Aksümbül, also known as Akpüskül, an incredibly intriguing grape variety.
In our initial research, we found very little additional information beyond what we have already shared. However, the Tekirdağ Viticulture Institute, one of the most significant institutions of the Republican era, has played a crucial role in documenting and preserving Turkish grape varieties by cultivating them in collection vineyards and sharing them with viticulturists. At first, when we inquired about this grape, we received no definitive answer. However, after further investigation, we found a clue—Akpüskül may actually be listed under the name Akbüzgülü, a possible synonym in their records. We hope to uncover more details in the coming days, and as we do, we will be sure to share them with you!
Turkey’s Extraordinary Grape Diversity: A Growing Legacy
Turkey is home to nearly 1,500 grape varieties, yet we are still in the early stages of DNA analysis for these grapes. Experts working in this field estimate that after filtering out similar varieties, around 850 unique indigenous grape types remain. However, we have yet to complete the necessary studies to determine how many of these are suitable for winemaking.
In our e-book, “Endemic Turkish Grapes and Wines in the WAYANA Menu,” we initially featured 74 wine-producing Turkish grape varieties. With the addition of Aksümbül, this number has now reached 75. Moreover, two more newly identified grapes have been included in our portfolio: CİMİN and DİŞİ MERCAN. When we first began our journey in wine, there were only about 30 known Turkish wine grapes. Over the past 10 years, this number has expanded to 77. Such remarkable growth in grape diversity is unparalleled in any other wine-producing country in the world.
A Journey That Begins with Aksümbül
We started this conversation with Aksümbül, but as our exploration deepened, our perspective naturally expanded. Of course, this is just the beginning—there is still so much more to discuss. As new discoveries emerge and fresh insights come to light, we will continue sharing them with you. Stay tuned for more!
