Turkish winemaking went through severe trauma in the years preceding and immediately following the founding of the Republic of Türkiye. As a result of the Armenian deportations that began in 1915 and the population exchange implemented in 1923–24, viticulture and winemaking activities, which throughout the Ottoman era had largely been carried out by non-Muslim communities, were abruptly interrupted.

The first concrete step taken to revive viticulture, which could have become a major source of income for Anatolian farmers, and to introduce modern techniques into the country, was the invitation of a French expert to assess the situation on site. During his stay in Türkiye, Emile Bouffard compiled his observations, conclusions, and recommendations into a detailed report. We have summarized the Turkish edition of this report. We owe special thanks to our dear academic colleague Yusuf Can İndibay, who guided us in accessing this valuable document.

Author: Wine Expert Monsieur Emile Bouffard

Publisher: Monopoly Administration for Spirits and Alcoholic Beverages (TEKEL)

INTRODUCTION

During our long journeys through Türkiye’s vineyard regions, we had the opportunity to gather a great deal of valuable information. I would like to express my gratitude to the Monopoly Administration, to agricultural and municipal officials, to winemakers and winegrowers who assisted us in fulfilling our mission. In particular, vine growers may rest assured that I shall always work with sincere dedication for the improvement of their conditions.

Our investigations were conducted under the following headings:

1. Climate: Vegetation, temperature levels, rainfall, and humidity conditions.
2. Soil Structure: Mineral composition and moisture levels of upper and lower layers.
3. Viticulture: Grape varieties, their characteristics, and their value from the standpoint of oenology.
4. Winemaking: Existing production methods and the modern techniques that should be adopted in the future.

REGIONAL STUDIES

İZMİR AND MANİSA

Bornova: A fertile valley bordered by Hacılar to the east, Işıklar to the south, and the sea to the west. The soil is rich and water abundant. In the vineyards of Bornova School, we observed poor maintenance. The trunks are cracked and pruning practices inadequate.

Buca: Resembles the limestone hills of France. The soil is reddish-brown in color. I am convinced that extremely valuable sweet wines could be produced here from Muscat grapes.

Black Grapes: Varieties such as Dimrit, Tokmak, and İri Kara are suitable for red wine production. However, vineyard maintenance methods must be improved. The wild grasses invading the vineyards often give the impression of walking through abandoned plots.

Manisa and Kasaba (Turgutlu): The left side of the Gediz Valley is entirely covered with vineyards, producing excellent yields. Our studies on the Sultaniye grape revealed that it is among the finest varieties in the hands of Turkish growers.

BURSA

The soil of the Bursa Agricultural School consists mainly of infertile sand. Due to climatic influence, grapes ripen late. However, Misi Village resembles an oasis with its greenery, and its growers are highly eager to modernize. The white “Şıralık” grape yielded promising results in our trials.

TEKİRDAĞ AND MÜREFTE

This region stretching along the Marmara coast holds great promise for winemaking.

Karalahna: Suitable only for wine production, this grape is invaluable for export and blending thanks to its “blood-red” color.

Mürefte: Existing wines are bitter and overly acidic. However, if production methods are corrected, exquisite golden-colored wines could be obtained.

EDİRNE AND KIRKLARELİ

Sabuncu Hills: It is saddening to see valleys once covered with vineyards now lying in ruins.

Papas Karası, although an outstanding grape for winemaking, faces extinction because it has not been grafted onto American rootstocks. Phylloxera continues to devastate vineyards in the region day by day.

BOZCAADA

The island’s most important grape is Kuntra. It produces garnet-colored, soft, fruity wines. The island is ideally suited for producing high-alcohol, high-quality sweet wines.

ANKARA

Wines produced by Monsieur Saksenberg in Ankara are free from foreign and bitter flavors, exceptionally clean and successful. Ankara’s white wine possesses a delicate aroma.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Modernization in Viticulture

• American Rootstocks: Phylloxera is spreading in Türkiye. New vineyards must be established by grafting onto suitable American rootstocks such as Riparia, Rupestris, and Richter.
• Soil Cultivation: Since soil is worked by hand, costs are extremely high. As in French viticulture, plows, animal traction, and tractors should be widely adopted.
• Disease Control: Treatments against powdery mildew and downy mildew are insufficient. Spraying schedules must be based on scientific data such as moth counts.

Hygiene and Technique in Winemaking

• Cleanliness: Many wineries are unfortunately filled with dust, cobwebs, and leaking barrels. Such conditions cause unpleasant flavors that arouse a feeling of disgust in consumers.
• Modern Equipment: Primitive practices such as foot-crushing must be abandoned. Modern machines and easily cleaned reinforced-concrete tanks should be adopted.
• Additives: Water must never be added to wine. This is both fraud and destructive to balance. The use of sulfur and pure yeast is essential to prevent spoilage.

Economic Objectives

1. Wine for the People: Wine should not be considered a luxury beverage but a healthy “people’s drink.” Prices must be set at levels affordable to the public.
2. Education of Taste: Public palate should be cultivated through “tasting centers” and advertising.
3. Quality Control: Severe penalties must be imposed on adulteration, and production must be strictly supervised in laboratory conditions.
4. New Markets: In addition to table wine, brandy-style spirits, sparkling wines (champagne method), and liqueur wines should be produced for export.

Conclusion: By virtue of its climate, Türkiye is an excellent vineyard country. Viticulture must cease to be an ungrateful agriculture and become a major source of national wealth.

A FINAL WORD

Following Emile Bouffard’s visit, French varieties such as Semillon, Gamay, Cinsault, and Silvaner were planted in Türkiye. Only a small fraction of these vineyards has survived to this day.

Ten years after Bouffard, Marcel Biron was invited to Türkiye. Biron played a major role in the improvement and dissemination of local grape varieties. During his tenure, Türkiye became a member of the OIV. This period deserves a separate study.

It is worth recalling that the Republic’s priority was to raise farmers’ income through the development of viticulture. As the executor of state policy, TEKEL ensured the continuity of viticulture by guaranteeing purchases from growers. Thanks to this, despite all adversities, Türkiye became the world’s sixth largest grape producer. However, TEKEL never prioritized the production of high-quality wine. As a result, the emergence of quality winemaking in the country was delayed by many years.

The idea of viewing wine as a high value-added and foreign-currency-generating product gained prominence in the 1940s. After participating as an observer in the 1947 OIV Conference, Türkiye later hosted the conference in Istanbul. These were the years when Turkish winemaking came closest to real transformation. Yet the policies of the new government elected in 1950 prevented this momentum from continuing.