Skip the beach clubs for a day and head inland, where small vineyards, native grapes, and a handful of ambitious producers are quietly shaping Bodrum’s wine identity.
Wine travelers should not be surprised when visiting Turkey, that there is a thriving wine industry. In fact, the Wines of Anatolia – today’s modern-day Turkey – can be traced back to 7,000 years BC. Wine seems to have started in the broader Caucasus–Anatolia region. Today, Turkey has six distinct wine regions, and almost 200 wineries. The Aegean region is the westernmost, and where the city of Bodrum and Karaova Valley are located.
Turkey is surrounded by other countries with ancient wine cultures including Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Lebanon. Despite its ancient wine history, and due to a multitude of political, economic, religious, social and winegrowing challenges, Turkey’s modern fine wines have only emerged on the world stage in the last 25-30 years. Growers and winemakers favor internationally popular grape varieties and still do today. Most of the varieties you’ll find are wines that will be familiar to you, but seek out wines from native grapes to really experience the place.
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Getting There & Away
If you don’t arrive to Bodrum by cruise ship, you’ll likely fly from Istanbul or many other European cities into Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV), located about 20 miles from the city center. If you find yourself south on the Mediterranean’s Turquoise Coast between Alanya, Antalya or Kalkan, it’s a relaxing although mountainous drive to Bodrum, which is how we arrived by car service – Kalkan VIP Transfer – for five segments of our trip from Cappadocia to Antalya, to Kalkan, to Bodrum, to Selcuk and Izmir.
The Aegean Region – Bodrum – Visit the Karaova Valley Region
The Karaova Valley Region in western Turkey is quite old, highly regional and local. It is also very accessible from Bodrum town, only 35-40 minutes. While there are about 1,500 known varieties of grapes in Turkey, there are only 15-18 planted varieties here, some indigenousness and many international in origin. You’ll find a mix of:
International reds – Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah
International whites – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sémillon
Turkish natives – Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, Narince (don’t worry about pronunciation, just taste).
Many Bodrum estates also lean heavily on international grapes such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and blends from Syrah/Zinfandel.
If I had to pick the signature international grape of Karaova Valley, it would be Zinfandel. But don’t expect California-style Zins. Zinfandel thrives her because of the warm hot conditions, proximity to the Aegean Sea and marine winds, and limestone soils that provide acidity and clay that provides minerality.
Karaova is a relatively new region and indigenous grapes aren’t as prevalent as they are in Greece, and Eastern Europe. The closest thing to a flagship native grape is Öküzgözü.
Anyway, Winetravelers, let’s get on with the tour. Leave the marinas and the late-night clubs of Bodrum behind, and find your inner wine jam. You’ll be touring the valley on an informal wine route, away from the main touristed areas. You’ll be in small villages, passing olive trees, to visit a few ambitious vineyards in the Karaova Valley. Driving out of town is a relief from the boating and party scene in the city. The hills are full of farms, orchards, vineyards and lots of sheep.
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Recommended Itinerary
Day One: Visit Karnas Vineyards, Garova Vineyards, and Mor Salkım Bağları. The vineyards are 20-30 minutes from Bodrum and make for a wonderful all-day trip. We visited in the order noted below.
Garova Vineyards
Garova is the closest winery to Bodrum, and a good place to start your tour. It’s a hidden gem situated in the countryside with panoramic views, relaxed tastings, and a focus on both indigenous and international grapes; and a peaceful stop on the Bodrum Wine Route. It is not well signed, so show your driver a map to “Garova”, so they don’t take you to other wineries in “Karaova”. This happened to us.
Visiting Garova and Mehmet Vuran, proprietor and winemaker, at his farm country winery is a special treat; for the wines, the local cheese, and the overall rustic experience. His family has been on this site for over 200 years, although the winery itself was founded in 2004 by Mehmet. He is most fond of the native grapes he has planted almost 40 years ago on his 6.5-acre vineyard, but also has several international grapes including Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Zinfandel, the one wine that defines the Garova brand.
Mehmet is also is quite modest, featuring his brother Erdal on the label. If you look closely at the label footer, you’ll find a very small headshot of Mehmet who’s takes inspiration from Alford Hitchcock’s clandestine presence in his films.
The vibe here is quieter, relaxed, rustic. Whites and rosés show citrus, stone fruit, and Aegean herbal characteristics. The reds are floral, rustic with spice, earthy minerality and fine-grained tannins. All the wines – 10,000 bottles – are wild fermented and naturally produced onsite
Tastings – Open Daily except Monday. Summer hours are 11am – 11pm. Three wines and a cheese plate are included for about $15 U.S. Appointments are strongly suggested as Mehmet is often working in the cellar and elsewhere on the farm. He speaks limited English, but more than enough to present himself, his background as an agricultural engineer, and his exceptional wines. You’ll enjoy their signature “Wild Ferment” Zinfandel, and native grapes Emir, a lovely crisp white, and Okuzgozu, a full bodied red.
Email him to confirm your visit and timing at mvuran48@gmail.com and I also suggest reaching out on What’s App +90 532 552 58 27.
To learn more, read the Wine Characters interview with Mehmet Vuran
Mor Salkım Bağları (Vineyards)
Mor Salkim translates to purple cluster as in wisteria and grapes. This is a beautiful property, with rolling hills of vineyards. It’s especially popular with the Brits who flock to Bodrum in droves. The estate combines organic working vineyards, olive groves, wine patio, restaurant, and live-music. This is an idyllic venue that begs hunkering down under the trees and sipping wines on the patio. This is also a great place for Mezze plates and live music on the weekends with friends.
We met with proprietor Melih Erdemir who introduced us to his wife Zeynep and family, and winemaker Umut Koç. Melih worked as an engineer in Ankara, the capital, after graduating from both Toledo and Cornell Universities. Meanwhile, his twin brother Hasan Tahsin Erdemir founded the winery in the early 2000s. Sadly, Hasan passed in 2017 and the winery’s survival fell to Melih and his family. They grew the estate winery to about 100,000 bottles currently.
Tastings: Open 1-8pm (closed Mondays). Live Music 4pm on Sundays. Be sure to check the website for open hours during live music events. Reservations are required for live music days, and suggested for tasting visits. Mor Salkim is especially busy during Bodrum Jazz Fest and stays open late. They also host local events including Chef’s Table, where you choose your wine and food pairings, and yoga classes. If that’s not enough, your well-behaved dog friends are also welcome.
Ask about the different tasting packages, starting with three wines for about $15 U.S. Guided tours of the vineyards are available, and if a tour of the cellars is offered, you might experience barrel tasting with Umut or someone on the cellar team. International varieties including Muscat, their flagship wine, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cab, Syrah, and some native varieties like Kalecik Karasi and Aksumbul are on offer.
This is a destination location intended for lingering. It’s also one of the best hospitality experiences imaginable. Don’t miss having a meal here when you visit. The food and service are exceptional. And, you’ll be treated like family, as mine were during our visit.
To learn more, read the Wine Character interview with Melih Erdemir
Karnas Vineyards
Karnas takes its name from the ancient city of Halicarnassus, modern day Bodrum. Director of winemaking Haluk Işmen, and his mother Selva own and run the winery operations. Over lunch and tastings on the veranda we learned that Karnas Vineyards has a legacy of firsts. The first winery in Bodrum for 3,000 years; The first to plant in Zinfandel in Turkey in 2005; The first Vermentino planted in Turkey in 2011, and I am guessing one of the first very upscale deluxe destination locations in the valley.
Karnas is mostly known for its international grapes, with a focus on red wines. It’s a polished and sophisticated wine retreat. English is the second language here, although you’ll meet many well healed Turkish people enjoy themselves over long restive wine lunches.
To say that Karnas has a strong food program would be understating their commitment to fine Turkish and International cuisine. Come for the wine but stay for the food. Karnas is a member of Slow Food, and listed in the Michelin guide for its restaurant. Don’t forget to ask chef for the farro risotto.
We enjoyed lunch on the open-air patio with Haluk, and was impressed with his command of English. No surprise, he graduated from Lehigh University in Allentown, PA. Haluk shared that the company mission is not profit motivated. As a former wine industry consultant, this caught my attention. He explained their give-back ethos, mission and employee profit share programs. You can read more about Haluk and Karnas in the interview noted below.
Tasting and Dining Visits: Opens 12:30pm – 6pm for Tastings and a la Carte Lunch and food pairing; 12:30pm-3pm for Wine Pairing Lunch; 6:30pm-10pm for dinner. Package prices range from $25 U.S. for lunch tastings to $150 U.S. for Wine Pairing Dinner. Vineyard tours available. Zinfandel is the flagship grape you must taste. You’ll enjoy other international varieties like Syrah, Grenache and Vermentino.
To learn more, read the Wine Character interview with Haluk Ismen
Day Two: Drink the Hills Without Leaving Town
Back in Bodrum, find Meyland Gourmet Wine & Deli, on the marina waterfront, and revisit yesterday’s wines and discover many others. This is a high-end specialized wine and deli in a modern space with Mediterranean harbor views. You find a deep wine cellar, cheese boards, charcuterie, and gourmet snacks. This is a recommended spot to enjoy pre-dinner sunsets and people watching.
Neferiye Winery
Çağlar Bozçağa is the driving force behind Neferiye Winery and Orfoz, a “Sea to Table” Restaurant in Bodrum. Almost immediately after we met, Çağlar said to me, you must see our “Vineyard in the Forest” and taste the ancient “soldier grapes” of the Bodrum region, and we did. But first a quick tour of his “atelier” (workshop) winery, which occupies the entire basement of his home in the hills of Bodrum. The cellar tour where he produces only 3,000 bottles, was followed by a polished video presentation including clips of a CNN episode featuring Çağlar and his bespoke project.
The winery, founded in 1986, is preserving three local indigenous grape varieties discovered in their natural environment in the hills of mountain villages in Bodrum: Kanlıkara, Ak Üzüm, and Panık. Çağlar may have coined the term “Agro Forestry” which is also the name of his vineyard. He is taking regenerative farming to the next level. 100-year-old “married vines” are growing in pine and oak trees, and are harvested by a community of 60 families. The vineyards are registered by Old Vine Registry, which provides documentation and history of the vineyards. He is working to protect this heritage by researching and registering ancient grapes all over the Bodrum region, in collaboration with local governments and academic institutions.
When I ask any winemaker – what is the one thing unique about your winery – I often get similar answers related to vineyards and winemaking, sometimes a good story and interesting background. Ask Çağlar, and you’ll get the following – he’s reviving almost extinct world heritage grapes, and pairing the wines with seafood he himself catches most mornings off the coast of Bodrum. This is no exaggeration; he has video footage and other documentation that he will share if you ask.
Regarding the wines, I won’t try to provide tasting notes other than to say all were thoughtfully made, dry with crisp acidity and produced with no intervention. I’m generally skeptical of so called “Natural Wines”, but if there is a text book definition, the Neferiye wines are it.
The menu at Orfoz Restaurant is nothing but seafood and fresh fish, a startling array of goodness. We started a bright Crudo of shellfish, moved on to local Sea Snails, Sea Urchin, Smoked Eel, Grouper Soup (Orfoz is Turkish for Grouper), Lion Fish, Cuttlefish, giant Mantis Shrimp, Sea Scallops, Octopus, and the list goes on. Each small plates was paired with a soldier grape – white, rose’ or red.
Tastings: There are three options offered (Prices converted to U.S. dollars). Wines Only – about $65; Five Food and Wine Pairings – about $110; and 7 Wine & Food Pairings – about $150. While this may seem dear, I promise you’ll enjoy this special splurge, and your view to the sea from the dining deck.
To learn more, read the Wine Characters interview with Çağlar Bozçağa
Why Go and Why It Matters
Bodrum and Karaova Valley are carving out a coastal identity, with its Mediterranean varieties, selective international and indigenous grapes, and prime position as a leading tourism destination.
Bodrum will always have the turquoise waters, marinas and hilltop villages. But if you’re here and you care about wine, and are interested in a respite from the city, the Karaova Valley is a must. It’s serious yet relaxed and only 25 minutes from city center.
If you decide to research wineries to visit, don’t expect a strong social media presence or even well-developed websites. Alcohol is still not prevalent in this predominately Muslim county upon, heavily taxed, and advertising including bottle shots and pricing is not allowed. Some of the wineries focus most on growing and producing and less on branding and marketing.
More Information? https://thequirkycork.com/ and https://winesofturkey.nl/ and https://www.gobodrum.com.tr/en/eat-drink/vineyards-wineries/
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