Gaye Özcan #EWBC12
Gaye Molavali #EWBC12
Last evening I met two young female
winemakers, who are part of the dramatic growth in the wine estates in Turkey.
By coincidence they both share the first name: Gaye Özcan (nif baglari winery)
and Gaye Molavali (Urla). Good to see that women are playing a significant role
in Turkey’s expanding wine industry.
Gaye Ozcan #EWBC12
I met Gaye entirely by coincidence as I sat
down next to her on one of the coaches going to Urla, our dinner destination.
Naturally we got talking with her telling me about her family’s winery
project.
Gaye Ozcan: “Our winery – Nif baglari – is
in Izmir. We have 35 hectares of vines. We started planting in 2005 and have planted
Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, which is particularly successful in Izmir, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Sangiovese. More recently we have planted a couple
of Turkish varieties – Bornova Misketi and Focakarasi.
"We made our first wine in 2010. As
we had licensing problems we did not make wine in 2011. That year we sold the grapes to other
producers. We will be
releasing our two whites early in 2013 – an unoaked Chardonnay and a Bornova
Misketi. Then around May (2013) we will release four reds: three single varietals –
a Shiraz, Merlot and a Montepulciano and then a blend using these three with
the addition of Sangiovese. We didn’t think our Sangiovese was good enough to
release by itself.
"My father Hamit was born in Izmir. He moved
to Istanbul and founded a high specification glass business, which is now run
by my brothers. My grandfather grew grapes in Izmir. They were mainly table grapes
but he had wine for our family’s own consumption. Hamit is now spending 80% of
his time in Izmir on the winery project.
"I studied oenology at the California State
University in Fresno. Afterwards I worked at the luxury brand winery – Artesa
Winery in Napa – and then in Australia at Sally’s Paddock in Victoria.
"It is very difficult and time consuming in
Turkey to get a licence to make wine. It took us three years. Once our wines
are released I will be concentrating initially on the home market. Then later
we will be looking to export to countries like Germany, UK and USA.”
It is decidedly ironic that Turkey is the middle
of a winery explosion – now 140 wineries with the majority of these founded
since 2000 – yet the conservative government appears to be trying to hinder
this growth.
“The growth in wine consumption is being driven by the rising middle class, particularly those
aged between 20-40 with experience of having travelled to other countries. The
arrival of the new wineries has made the older wineries raise their game and
improve the quality of their wines.
"Visits from MWs and other professionals to
Turkey’s vineyards have been good as it has raised issues such as where and
what to plant. The quality of grapes coming from grape growers is getting
better, although it is difficult and slow to overcome the old culture of aiming
for quantity rather than quality. There is also the problem of lack of
education in rural areas.
"Investing in wineries has now become very
fashionable – sometimes the investment is driven by ego!
"Protests against the arrival of wineries in
rural areas can happen and there is a fear of vandalism, although this can
happen in other countries.”
On the pre-conference trip to Thrace we
experienced this when a farmer parked his tractor and trailer at the exit of
the Gülor Winery to stop our coach leaving. It took about ten minutes or so to
resolve this and raise the blockade.
After a little over an hour in the coach we
arrived at Urla Winery. This is another recent winery, although built in a
castellated style. With four coachloads there plus other guests, there was a
big crowd. We were briefly greeted at the entrance but otherwise there was no
explanation about the estate, winery or who owned. You just arrived, got a
glass of red from the bar, found the food, helped yourself and sat down. I felt
like one of the guests at one of Gatsby’s parties (Scott Fitzgerald – where
people went to his parties having no idea who their host was.
Fortunately, again by happy coincidence, we
met Gaye Molavali, the winemaker, who then showed us around the winery.
Gaye Molavali #EWBC12
Gaye Molavali
“I have been here for four months and I
work with two other female winemakers. Previously I spent four years at Corvus(http://www.corvus.com.tr). I’m a chemist
by training. Recently I sent three months in New Zealand at the Yealands Estate
in Blenheim.
The Urla project is a partnership between
four business friends in Izmir with Can Ortabas as the leading partner. The
first vines were planted ten years ago and there are now 35 hectares planted –
a mix of national and international varieties, which include Cabernet Franc and
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
The vineyards are organic. The winery was
built in 2008 with the first vintage in 2010. Everything is hand picked into
small cases and picking generally starts in the second week of August.
‘The winery has been designed so that grape
and wine movement is by gravity. When the grapes arrive they are washed and
dried. Ortabas insisted on this, so a special machine was developed.’ (This
must presumably rule out the possibility of using the natural yeasts – Jim.)
‘Gerald Lafont is our consultant and he
visits every two months. He is based in Marseilles but works in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Urla has an impressive range of stainless
steel tanks in varying sizes, barriques –Radoux and Seguin Moreau. One unusual
touch is having the swimming pool above the barrel room.
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