Hypatia is a community of wine lovers in Ankara who make wine at home as amateurs. Home winemaking is legally permitted in many countries around the world, including Turkey, provided that the wine is produced for personal consumption and not for commercial sale. In Turkey, the regulation sets this limit at “350 liters per person per year.”

Over time, amateur winemakers in Ankara developed strong social bonds. Although we did not witness those early years, it is clear that the power of these connections has kept the group together, nurturing genuine friendships centered around their shared passion for wine. 

Before the pandemic, Mr. Gökhan explained that this group of fifteen would meet each month at a member’s home or workplace to taste each other’s wines. Back in 2014, after collectively purchasing grapes and preparing them for fermentation, they took a break—and during that pause, a female physician who was also a wine enthusiast suggested the name “Hypatia” for their tasting group. They reflected on Hypatia being a woman, philosopher, and mathematician, and unanimously agreed, saying: “Surely, she must have been a wine lover too.” Thus, the name was adopted.

When their monthly gatherings were disrupted by the pandemic, Gökhan Ünal proposed moving the group into the digital sphere, believing it would benefit everyone. That idea gave birth to Digital Hypatia, which still continues today through monthly Zoom meetings.  

On the Hypatia YouTube channel founded by Gökhan Ünal, the very first event featured Erhan Yürüt as the speaker on June 4, 2020. The topic was “The Early Days of Home Winemaking in Ankara.” The second meeting was organized as an open conversation, where each participant spoke for five minutes. 

From the third meeting onward, they decided to invite a guest speaker for each session. The invited speaker would give a presentation on a topic of their choice, followed by an open discussion. The conversations are public, moderated by Mr. Gökhan, and conducted in an orderly fashion where participants take turns to contribute.

Looking at the speaker profiles, one sees a wide spectrum from the wine world. Figures from nearly every corner of the sector have participated—sometimes giving structured presentations, sometimes opting for direct Q&A sessions after a short introduction.

Producers from almost every notable Turkish winery have appeared as speakers: 7Bilgeler, Chamlija, Vinolus, Likya, Arcadia, Büyülübağ Doluca, Lermonos, Kavaklıdere, Sobran, Kuzubağ—often represented by their founders themselves. 

Well-known academics in the field of wine have also joined as Hypatia speakers: Sabit Ağaoğlu, Turgut Cabaroğlu, Hasan Çelik, Ertan Anlı—names that immediately stand out on the list.

The roster further includes familiar personalities followed closely by wine enthusiasts: Levon Bağış, Ayça Budak, Umay Çeviker, Göknur Gündoğan, Pınar Dikkaya, Seray Kocaemre, Fulya-Jose Hernandez, Turgut Tokgöz, İsa Bal, among others. 

Hypatia set out with the intention of contributing, in its own way, to the developing wine culture in Turkey—a culture that is still in the process of maturing. With its publicly accessible recordings, Hypatia has indeed become a valuable resource. One of Turkey’s greatest shortcomings has been documentation, but thanks to today’s digital tools, record-keeping has become easier. Hypatia continues to provide this service regularly through its YouTube channel.

At its core, Hypatia is just a group’s name. But we, as wine lovers, owe special thanks to Gökhan Ünal, who not only brought this group to life but also shoulders the responsibility of sustaining it. It is a service small in size yet vast in impact. May his efforts always be fruitful.