Exploring the Bozcaada Wine Route

Ipek Leni Candan
Jul 23, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Jul 24, 2024

Bozcaada, an island in the northeast of the Aegean Sea, is a hidden gem renowned for its vineyards and wines. Once linked with the cult of Dionysos, the island's wine was celebrated as the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Vineyards have flourished here since antiquity, and today, Bozcaada continues to honour its winemaking heritage.

A delightful mix of indigenous and international grape varieties thrive on Bozcaada. Local grapes like Çavuş, Vasilaki, Karalahna and Kuntra, which is also known as Karasakız on the Gallipoli Peninsula, offer unique wines. International varieties such as Amadei, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Grillo, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, and Zlahtina also find a home here.

Bozcaada's year-round winds and dry, hot summers mean the vines are primarily gobelet-trained. Disease pressure is low. Remarkably, phylloxera didn’t reach the island until the 1940s. Once the vines' roots are established, irrigation is often avoided. Old vines are common, with some over 60 years old.

Just a 30-minute ferry ride from the Turkish mainland and very easy to get around without driving, Bozcaada is perfect for a day trip for wine lovers. With its compact, walkable layout, we visited four of the island's six producers in a single day. Our adventure began at Çamlıbağ, where we sampled their entire portfolio of wines accompanied by delicious snacks. The team shared insights into the challenges Turkish winemakers face today. Highlights included the early harvest Vasilaki, the Kuntra rosé, and the special reserve Kuntra. The hospitality of the Çamlıbağ team was exceptional, making it a must-visit on the Bozcaada Wine Route (Bozcaada Bağ Yolu).

Next, we strolled to Amadeus, about a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. Here, we tasted a fascinating semi-fizzy rosé, an accidental result of refermentation, along with standout wines like the Cuvée Rouge (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz) and Malbec.

Our journey continued to Talay, where we encountered an intriguing Karasakız Demi-Sec, and then to Ataol, where we tried our first Sıdalan of the day, another indigenous variety found both on Bozcaada and the mainland. The difference between the Kuntra/Karasakız grown on Bozcaada and on the mainland was striking and something we noticed at each stop.

Turkey, one of the birthplaces of wine, boasts over 800 indigenous grape varieties. It's heartening to see Bozcaada winemakers preserving and celebrating these local varieties. The Bozcaada Wine Route is perfect for wine enthusiasts seeking off-the-beaten-path destinations to discover new and exciting local varieties.

Producers we visited

Çamlıbağ

https://camlibag.com.tr/

Wines we tasted: Vasilaki, Ayapetro Erken Hasat (Early Harvest) Vasilaki, Ayapetro Misket (Muscat), Kuntra Blush Rosé, Kuntra, Kuntra Special Reserve (60+ year-old vines), Karalahna, Merlot, Kuntra Grand Reserve Anı Şarabı 2010, Merlot (60%) - Kuntra (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon - Kuntra, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Ayapetro Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (bottle-aged), Kuntra Likör Şarabı Mistel

Amadeus

https://www.instagram.com/mozartcafebozcaada/

Wines we tasted: Amadeus Blush Rosé 2023 (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 30% Syrah), Cuvee Rouge 2017 (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah), Zlahtina 2021, Grillo 2021, Shiraz 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Malbec 2016