{"id":991847,"date":"2025-08-23T15:53:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T12:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/?p=991847"},"modified":"2026-07-06T18:16:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T15:16:37","slug":"sarabin-dogdugu-yerler-rotasi-bir-hayalin-pesinde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/sarabin-dogdugu-yerler-rotasi-bir-hayalin-pesinde\/","title":{"rendered":"The Birthplace of Wine Route: In Pursuit of a Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n

Antik medeniyetlerin miras\u0131n\u0131 gelece\u011fe ta\u015f\u0131mak ve asman\u0131n k\u00f6kenlerini d\u00fcnyaya anlatmak i\u00e7in k\u00fcresel \u00f6l\u00e7ekte bir k\u00fclt\u00fcr rota<\/b> projesi kurgulamak en b\u00fcy\u00fck hayalimizdir. Ba\u015fl\u0131\u011f\u0131 Martin Luther King\u2019in \u201cI Have A Dream – Bir Hayalim Var\u201d gibi koymak da asl\u0131nda m\u00fcmk\u00fcn. \u0130talya ve Slovenya\u2019daki \u00fcreticilerin \u201cSenza Meja\u201d giri\u015fimi, \u015farab\u0131n s\u0131n\u0131rlar\u0131 a\u015fan bir k\u00fclt\u00fcr k\u00f6pr\u00fcs\u00fc olabilece\u011fini hepimize g\u00f6steriyor. Avrupa Konseyi \u00e7at\u0131s\u0131 alt\u0131ndaki k\u00fclt\u00fcr rotalar\u0131 aras\u0131nda yer alan ve WAYANA olarak bizim de bir par\u00e7as\u0131 oldu\u011fumuz Iter Vitis, bunun kurumsal \u00f6rne\u011fi.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These initiatives symbolize the determination of producers in different countries to share the same vineyards, the same traditions, and the same future. We too can dream of something similar for our own geography: a route connecting the very places where wine was born\u2026 Eastern Anatolia, Georgia, Armenia, and perhaps Azerbaijan. Wouldn\u2019t that be something?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is not merely a wine tourism idea\u2014it is a cultural pathway that recalls humanity\u2019s oldest common heritage. For these lands are where humankind first met the vine, and where grapes first became wine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>

\r\n
\"Rota\"<\/figure>\r\n<\/div><\/div>
\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kadim Topraklar ve Gelece\u011fin K\u00fclt\u00fcr Rota Projesi<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Archaeological evidence tells us that the origins of viticulture and winemaking stretch back to 6000 BCE. Wine traces found in Georgian clay jars, the world\u2019s oldest known winery unearthed in Armenia\u2019s Areni-1 cave, and Urartian vineyard inscriptions and irrigation systems in Eastern Anatolia all point to this region as a \u201cland of firsts.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

G\u00fcrcistan:<\/h3>\r\n

With its 8,000-year-old qvevri tradition, Georgia is known worldwide as \u201cthe cradle of wine.\u201d The qvevri method was inscribed on UNESCO\u2019s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ermenistan:<\/h3>\r\n

The Areni-1 cave houses the oldest known winemaking facility (c. 4000 BCE), complete with stone vats, grape presses, and storage vessels.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Do\u011fu Anadolu:<\/h3>\r\n

The role of vine and wine in Hittite rituals, Urartian inscriptions, and sophisticated irrigation systems all demonstrate the deep roots of viticulture here.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Azerbaycan:<\/h3>\r\n

Archaeological finds in Shaki and Ganja trace wine history back 4,000\u20135,000 years. Though interrupted in the Soviet era, these traditions are being revived after independence.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Route: A Journey Through the Birthplaces of Wine<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do\u011fu Anadolu \u2013 Urartu\u2019nun \u0130zinde<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The irrigation canals and vineyard inscriptions left by the Urartians around Lake Van show how advanced viticulture was in antiquity. (And by the way\u2014never call it a \u201clake\u201d to the locals; for them it is the sea.) On the northern shore lies Erci\u015f, home to the grape that bears its name: Erci\u015fkaras\u0131. Cultivated for over three millennia, Erci\u015fkaras\u0131 unites the modern wine lover with the Urartian of long ago.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The famous folk song of Van captures this legacy:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cO s\u00fcsem, o s\u00fcmb\u00fcl, o g\u00fcl o ba\u011f\u0131nd\u0131r\u2026\nEdremit Van\u2019a bakar<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u0130\u00e7inde \u015eamran akar.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Those lines refer to the 54-kilometer-long irrigation canal built in Urartian times\u2014known as the Shamram canal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Today, Eastern Anatolia continues to carry this heritage: Elaz\u0131\u011f\u2019s \u00d6k\u00fczg\u00f6z\u00fc and Bo\u011fazkere, Diyarbak\u0131r\u2019s Bo\u011fazkere. Turkish winemakers are reviving forgotten grape varieties year after year, bringing them back into our glasses. And many more still wait their turn. Modern wineries reinterpret this ancient legacy, pairing wines with gastronomy and inviting today\u2019s enthusiasts to taste both tradition and innovation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

G\u00fcrcistan \u2013 Qvevri\u2019nin Kalbi<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In Kakheti, qvevri winemaking is more than a technique\u2014it is a way of life. Clay jars buried in the earth for fermentation link past and present, producing unique flavor profiles unlike any other. Visitors discover not only wine, but also Georgian hospitality and the rich culture of the supra feast.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ermenistan \u2013 Areni\u2019nin Ma\u011faras\u0131<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Areni-1 cave in Vayots Dzor contains the world\u2019s oldest known winery. Six-thousand-year-old stone vats and presses reveal wine\u2019s earliest chapters. Today, wines made from the Areni Noir grape embody this heritage in modern form. Each year, the Areni Wine Festival transforms the region into a cultural hub, blending history with contemporary expression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Azerbaycan \u2013 Yeniden Do\u011fan Gelenek<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In Shaki and Ganja, traces of vineyards attest to Azerbaijan\u2019s deep roots in wine culture. Though industrialized during the Soviet period, winemaking here is being reborn through boutique producers. Local varieties such as Madrasa are once again finding their place on the stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Cultural Value of the Route<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Such a route would bring together not only winemakers, but also historians, gastronomes, artists, and travelers. Europe\u2019s \u201cwine routes\u201d offer tourism experiences, but here the meaning would be deeper: this would be a journey into humanity\u2019s oldest wine traditions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n