{"id":992028,"date":"2025-12-11T20:59:39","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/?p=992028"},"modified":"2025-12-11T20:59:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:59:41","slug":"likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/","title":{"rendered":"Likya\u2019s Lost Grapes Adventure:\nHard to Find, Even Harder to Record"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Hard to Find, Even Harder to Record<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our connection with Likya Wines goes all the way back to our earliest days in the world of wine, a little more than a decade ago. Considering that Ac\u0131kara was among the first wines we ever served, it\u2019s not hard to understand why we feel such a strong bond with Likya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During our trip to Elmal\u0131 in the first half of 2025, we had the chance to taste the wines featured in the Likya Master Class on December 10. At that time, they were still tank samples, and the grapes\u2019 identities weren\u2019t confirmed since the DNA results were not yet available. Even so, their potential was unmistakable. Three months later, when the DNA results came in, Burak \u00d6zkan\u2019s excitement as he called to share the news was something we won\u2019t forget.\nNow, let\u2019s move on to our observations from the Master Class.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>

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

G\u00f6knur G\u00fcndo\u011fan\u2019s Opening Remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likya\u2019s corporate communications are now helmed by an experienced wine professional, G\u00f6knur G\u00fcndo\u011fan. Her opening remarks focused on summarizing the platform on which Burak \u00d6zkan\u2019s twenty-plus years of work stands, and the direction it will follow from here on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first slide of the accompanying presentation was designed as an infographic, beautifully summarizing the process in which rediscovered vines are brought back to life and eventually transformed into wine. The eight-step process presented in the infographic is outlined below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Discovering the Vines in Nature:<\/strong> Finding scattered vines or married vines climbing trees, and collecting cuttings for grafting.married vine<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Observation and Berry Tasting:<\/strong> Visually examining the leaves and identifying tasting profiles of the grapes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Selection and Propagation:<\/strong> Choosing and propagating vines with real winemaking potential.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Cultivation in R&D Vineyards:<\/strong> The longest part of the process. Likya\u2019s experience shows this stage alone can take about ten years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Trial Wine and Decision:<\/strong> Producing a trial wine in the fourth year and deciding on its suitability for winemaking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Grafting Suitable Vines:<\/strong> Grafting grape varieties with proven potential onto American rootstocks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Analysis and Tastings:<\/strong> Conducting laboratory and sensory analyses to evaluate wine quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Becoming a Product and Reaching the Market:<\/strong> Meeting wine lovers and facing the realities of the marketplace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    G\u00f6knur also emphasized a parallel process. Once a trial wine is produced and a continuation decision is made, the grape variety undergoes DNA and ampelographic analysis in internationally accredited laboratories. If a genetic match is found, the historical name is confirmed. If not, a new name must be given to this unique variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the grape is not recorded in major global databases (the richest being in Montpellier, France, and Jos\u00e9 Vouillamoz\u2019s institution in Switzerland), the naming process begins. The naming protocol works as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • If the vine already has a locally recognized, distinctive name that isn\u2019t used elsewhere, that name is adopted. Ac\u0131kara is an example.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • If it has no known local name, the place where it was found is used. Fersun was named this way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • If neither applies, the discoverer assigns a new name. Examples include Likya I\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131, Vera \u00d6zkan, and Arda \u00d6zkan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      In the Words of the Discoverer, Burak \u00d6zkan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Likya Wines is a family enterprise. Burak \u00d6zkan, the older brother, is the founder and the person who has chased vines for more than twenty years, carrying the weight of production. Doruk \u00d6zkan runs the company operations. (May he have strength in these times.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Burak began his talk by explaining how he decided to establish his vineyards in Elmal\u0131. If you dig into the past, Elmal\u0131, like many regions in Anatolia, was historically a winegrowing area. The very land where Likya stands today appears on early 1900s mining maps as \u201cManast\u0131r Vineyards,\u201d with its neighbor labeled \u201cAv\u015far Vineyards.\u201d The region\u2019s history already tells the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When Burak realized how rich the endemic diversity of the Taurus Mountains was, his first clue came from a local resident working at Likya who mentioned a particular vine. That discovery eventually led to Ac\u0131kara. From that point on, unearthing lost vines first became a mission, then a full-fledged business model for Likya. Hearing Burak tell this story himself was something special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The result? Over more than twenty years of effort, Likya Wines has saved thirteen unique grape varieties from disappearing and formally documented them. These vines are now part of the World\u2019s Cultural Heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Eight Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The tasting was led, with her usual elegance, by Tuba I\u015f\u0131k. Only one of the wines was white: Likya I\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131, which we all agreed has a very bright future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The first red, Likya Ate\u015fi, is a strong contender in the light-bodied red category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The second red was previously referred to by its working name, Alt\u0131nc\u0131 His. DNA analysis later revealed its true identity as Gemre Siyah\u0131, and the wine now carries that name. The third red was Fersun, and the fourth was the grape previously known under the temporary name Likya Bilgesi, which analysis confirmed to be O\u011flakkaras\u0131.\nGemre Siyah\u0131, Fersun, and O\u011flakkaras\u0131 all have moderate alcohol levels and can be enjoyed slightly chilled. Their lower alcohol may even become an advantage in the face of shifting climate conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Vera \u00d6zkan, Ac\u0131kara, and Arda \u00d6zkan are powerful reds with near-maximum alcohol, firm tannins, and strong aging potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Final Word:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The event carried two important dimensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      First, it allowed us to hear a twenty-five-year journey directly from its source, giving us a clear understanding of how Likya\u2019s efforts to revive nearly lost vines have become interwoven with the very existence and progress of the winery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Second, we learned that the most challenging part isn\u2019t necessarily finding these vines, but recording and certifying them. We heard firsthand what this process requires, how Likya navigated it, and the unique difficulties of doing this work in T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A final note. We are deeply concerned that the recent restrictive ruling on listing grape names on wine labels may negatively affect the future of revived varieties. All stakeholders of the sector \u2014 organizations, institutions, and individuals \u2014 must quickly recognize this shared problem and work toward resolving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There is work to be done, and responsibility belongs to all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Bulmak Zor, Kay\u0131t Alt\u0131na Almak Daha Zor! Likya \u015earaplar\u0131\u2019yla ili\u015fkimiz, \u015farap d\u00fcnyas\u0131na ad\u0131m att\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z ilk g\u00fcnlere kadar geri gidiyor; on y\u0131ldan biraz daha eskiye yani. Bizim servis etmeye ba\u015flad\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z ilk \u015faraplar aras\u0131nda Ac\u0131karan\u0131n yer ald\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcn\u00fcrsek Likya\u2019yla g\u00f6n\u00fcl ba\u011f\u0131m\u0131z\u0131n neden g\u00fc\u00e7l\u00fc oldu\u011funu anlamak zor de\u011fil. 2025\u2019in ilk yar\u0131s\u0131nda Elmal\u0131\u2019ya yapt\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z gezide, 10 Aral\u0131k\u2019ta Likya Master…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":992029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-992028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nLikya\u2019n\u0131n Kay\u0131p \u00dcz\u00fcmler Maceras\u0131: - Wayana Wine Bar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Likya\u2019n\u0131n Kay\u0131p \u00dcz\u00fcmler Maceras\u0131: - Wayana Wine Bar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bulmak Zor, Kay\u0131t Alt\u0131na Almak Daha Zor! Likya \u015earaplar\u0131\u2019yla ili\u015fkimiz, \u015farap d\u00fcnyas\u0131na ad\u0131m att\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z ilk g\u00fcnlere kadar geri gidiyor; on y\u0131ldan biraz daha eskiye yani. Bizim servis etmeye ba\u015flad\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z ilk \u015faraplar aras\u0131nda Ac\u0131karan\u0131n yer ald\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcn\u00fcrsek Likya\u2019yla g\u00f6n\u00fcl ba\u011f\u0131m\u0131z\u0131n neden g\u00fc\u00e7l\u00fc oldu\u011funu anlamak zor de\u011fil. 2025\u2019in ilk yar\u0131s\u0131nda Elmal\u0131\u2019ya yapt\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z gezide, 10 Aral\u0131k\u2019ta Likya Master...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wayana Wine Bar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T17:59:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T17:59:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/likya-.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1126\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Wayana Wine Bar\",\"description\":\"Wayana Tapas\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/likya-.jpeg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1126},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/likyanin-kayip-uzumler-macerasi\/\",\"name\":\"Likya\\u2019n\\u0131n Kay\\u0131p \\u00dcz\\u00fcmler Maceras\\u0131: - 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