Most of us are not even aware that our country is among the top five grape producers in the world. You got it right, we're in the top five. But while more than 90% of the grapes grown in countries that are ahead of us in the world ranking and whose production is higher than ours, are used in wine making, this rate is 2,5% in our country. Yes, you did not see it wrong again: 2,5%.

When we say Denizli, Pamukkale comes to mind first. Nor are we wrong; such an extraordinary beauty that Pamukkale, with its white travertines, is perhaps one of the most distinguished pictures recorded in our memory. But this article is about a wealth of Denizli that we are not aware of as much as Pamukkale: Denizli's vineyards.

With all of its districts combined together, Denizli meets about one third of the total grape harvest of our country with its large vineyards. In other words, the quantity of production has a significant ratio worldwide. It would not be wrong to think of Denizli as an ocean of vineyards where almost all kinds of grapes are grown. And one of these grapes is the endemic grape of the region, Cal Karasi, which is in the center of our article.

Cal Karasi was registered with a Geographical Indication in 2020. In the registration document, it is stated that it is purplish-black in color, the grains are medium-sized and plump, ellipsoidal-shaped, fleshy and juicy, ripens in late August, its clusters are dense and winged, medium-thick rind, 1-2 seeds. We see in the information sheet that it is suitable for wine production with its low acidity and balanced structure, and that it is also preserved as raisins.

Cal Karasi produces wines with a very light red color, which the French describe as the 'partridge eye'. With the effect of this color, we observe that Cal Karasi was first used for rosé wines and accepted in the market. Kavaklidere's Lâl wine is the strongest example of this. In the first quarter of this century, while Turkey's view of wine has changed (not in the state level though), Denizli had been undergoing a tremendous change with the dynamism created by both the old producers of the region and the new producers joining them. The Cal Karasi grape is also entering a period where all kinds of variations are tried out. Now, many producers produce Cal Karasi grape as a single variety red, rosé or even white wine with blanc de noir technique.

WAYANA Wine Bar, our wine house in Kadikoy, includes quite a range of wines made from Cal Karasi grape in its wine menu. WAYANA has a rich collection of both single variety and blends of Cal Karasi, produced under the brands Kup, Kuzubag, Erdel and Lermonos. If you want to get to know the Cal Karasi wines closely, stop by anytime. Moreover since WAYANA serves all the wines by the glass, it is a great chance to compare different labels of Cal Karasi.

To read and learn more about Cal Karasi and the wineries, please check the links:

About the grape:

https://thequirkycork.com/get-to-know-the-grape-calkarasi/

Küp Winery:

https://kupsarap.com/

Kuzubag Winery:

https://www.kuzubag.com/

Lermonos Winery:

https://lermonos.com/ana-sayfa/

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