I remember the first time I came across information about Kerasus in a social media post. I recorded it as a bold initiative that started with a young wine enthusiast questioning why wine was not produced in the Black Sea region and showed that it could very well be with her studies. Her name is Gizem and I had a short chat with Gizem at the Dionysus Symposium hosted by Gelveri in April of this year and we promised to meet when the new products come out. At the beginning of June, we learned that Kerasus had two wines called Melez 1 and Melez 2 ready. After the wines arrived, we set up a meeting with Gizem to learn the details. This article summarizes the information we received in that conversation.
I asked Gizem if her interest in wine in the Black Sea region was related to her being from the Black Sea region. She said that she was from the Black Sea region but that was not the main reason for her interest. Kerasus’ work in this field started three years ago. Their main priority is to understand the grape existence of the region and to produce grapes that do not reach large quantities and to create a vineyard area where the vines can grow under their own control. The vineyard area they created with the cuttings of the grapes they produce will also serve as a protection station. They are producing wines as natural wines and only using the wild yeast.
The must of the Melez 1 and Melez 2 wines (melez is a Turkish word for hybrid) they produced this year belongs to the Narince grape. In fact, there is no difference between the two wines in terms of production method, grape must and yeast use: Narince grape must is subjected to a long (7-month) maceration process. In the first seven days of this period, the skins of the extraordinary Isabella grape from the Black Sea region are placed in the tank at the beginning of fermentation due to their strong natural yeast storage. In order to prevent the two types of skins from mixing but to ensure permeability, a type of basket made of hazelnut fiber that they designed and implemented is used. At the end of the seventh day, the basket is removed from the fermentation tank with the İsabella skins inside, and Narince is left alone.
We said that the Isabella grape is extraordinary, let's briefly summarize where this comes from. First, some general information. The scientific family name of the grape vines used in winemaking today is Vitis Vinifera. The vines in this family have been cultivated by humans over a long process that lasted for centuries and have been brought to a competent form. The scientific name of the ancestor of these vines is Vitis Vinifera Sylvestris, meaning wild vine. Almost all of the wines that meet us in our glasses are members of this Vitis Vinifera family. Isabella, on the other hand, is not a member of this family, but a member of a family called Vitis Labrusco, which is less suitable for winemaking than Vitis Vinifera. Wines made from Isabella grapes are not of high quality yet. But wine is a matter of patience, and the samples that will emerge at the end of this process will perhaps surprise us one day.
The difference between Melez 1 and Melez 2 is actually related to the mixing of the must containing the skins during natural wine production. The mixing process, which was done twice a day in Hybrid 1, was increased to three times a day in Hybrid 2. In this way, they tried to understand what would happen if the must met with oxygen in different amounts. Even such a small difference has ensured that the wine stirred twice a day has a younger and fresher identity, while the one stirred three times has a structure where maturation is felt more.
60 bottles each of Melez 1 and Melez 2 were produced. We are planning to carry out a special presentation to introduce the wines we include in WAYANA's Natural Wine Menu to our guests. It is very important for both our foreign and Turkish wine-loving guests to share the excitement of this young entrepreneur duo, support the sustainability of the project and be a part of the awareness that is being created for the grapes that are saved from extinction and recovered. When this preparation is completed, there will be a special set option that WAYANA wine lovers will also be a part of. We will share the details.
We wish success to Gizem and her partner Berat, in this project. We will follow and share the further stages and new examples of the project.
