A brief history of in

While the names of the first vintners are lost to history, a wealth of archaeological evidence, along with many written records, indicate (Turkey) and neighboring Mesopotamia as the birthplace of 6,000 – 8,000 years ago.

The first historical record of winemaking in the region is found in the Nippur tablets, which are among the world's oldest written documents, dating back to 3,800 BC.

Wine had an indispensable role in the social lives of the ruling classes: Hattis (2500 – 2000 BC) and Hittites (2000 – 1750 BC). For the Phrygians, who lived in Anatolia after the Hittites, wine was an essential part of daily life and an important element in their diet. The Phrygians introduced wine to Greek colonists on Anatolia's western flank and by the 6th century BC, wine was being exported as far as France and Italy as documented by writings of Homer (8th century BC), Strabo (63 BC – AD 24), Heredot (484‐425 BC) and Pliny the Younger (61 AD –112 AD), which contain detailed references to produced in the region.

Many recovered bas relief carvings and vessels bear imagery of wine flasks, jugs and the consumption of wine by the ancients. Recent testing by the University of Pennsylvania Museum Molecular Archaeologists of a ram headed situla (Latin for bucket or pail, usually elaborately decorated), unearthed in Gordion, Central Turkey, confirmed that, indeed, it held wine when it tested positive for tartaric acid.

The wine business proceeded apace for four millennia, until, at the beginning of the 20th century, social and political change significantly impacted wine production. World War I precipitated the subsequent War of Independence in November 1922, the aftermath of which abolished the Sultanate, thus ending Ottoman rule and establishing the Republic of Turkey.

In 1927, the production of all alcoholic beverages, including wine, was nationalized with the intention to protect and develop wine production. But without the competition that is a natural result of private industry, the quality of Turkish wines by Western standards suffered.

In the early 21st Century, Turkey passed legislation that put the wine and spirits industry back in private hands. In the few years since, the combined influences of foreign investment, an influx of experienced wine professionals and open‐market competition have vastly improved wines from both heritage and vinifera , to the extent that they can once again compete in export markets.

Viticulture

Öküzgözü (OH‐koo‐go‐zoo) and Boğazkere (bo‐OZ‐ker‐ay) grapes are native to the Elazığ (El‐uh‐zah) and Diyarbakır (die‐YAR‐buh‐kir) respectively, Province in Southeastern Turkey, near the Tigris River. While the precise origin of these grapes is unknown, they have been cultivated for thousands of years.

Along with other indigenous varieties, these two have been the "workhorses" of the industry for millennia. While vinifera varieties such as , , etc., were introduced to Turkey in the 1950s although focused efforts toward quality and vinification did not begin until the mid 90s. Still, wine production from them is relatively small, since most producers concentrate on making world‐class wines from Turkey's signature grapes.

While there are thousands of acres of these (and other) grapes produced annually, only five percent of the grape harvest is used for wine production. The majority of the yield is sold fresh or dried. In fact, after California, Turkey is the world’s largest producer of raisins.

Öküzgözü

The Öküzgözü grapes used in Kayra wines are grown in red clay and granite soils typical of Elaziğ geology. The Euphrates river provides a lake effect, with cooling breezes that moderate the normally harsh climate of Eastern Turkey, while the mountain range to the north tempers the bitterly cold winter winds.

Large berries (Oküzgözü means “eye of the bull”), high in acid have a flavor profile of raspberry, dark cherry, mint, chocolate, eucalyptus, sour cherry, pomegranate, ripe plum, cherry marmalade, clove and cardamom.

While the trellised planting is certainly familiar, the desolate landscape beyond looks more like Mars than Earth. Indeed, winemaker Dan O'Donnell has said that the region is good for only three things: grape growing, goats and rock farming.

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Boğazkere

In stark contrast to the orderly, modern rows of Öküzgözü Kayra farms in Elaziğ, their Boğazkere in Diyarbakir, southeast of Elaziğ, are positively primitive. In the picture at right, note that the vines are supported with sticks! However, despite the rudimentary planting, Kayra employs modern canopy and cluster management.

The region is known for poor soils and a hot climate, with high day‐night temperature variations. Small clusters of tiny berries have flavors of black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, black mulberry, pepper, clove when youngand eucalyptus, tobacco, leather, pine forest, dark chocolate and licorice when aged/ developed

In winemaking

Daniel O'Donnell ferments the grapes using selected, not wild, yeasts and both Öküzgözü and Boğazkere benefit from time in the : they are aged 12‐19 months, depending on the vintage.

Lead Winemaker Daniel O'Donnell

Brief CV

BS food science, CIA, University of California MS chemistry, University of California MS enology, Viticulture, University of California

Commitee Chair ASEV Lecturer, Napa Valley College Adjunct Chair Ascent Labs Founding President Vıntners International Inc 34 vintages experience Active wine/ consulting in 13 countries Has been with Mey/Kayra wines since 2006 vintage

Are you permanent staff at Kayra or consulting?

I am a combination of both. Starting with the commitment of TPG (Texas Pacific Group) and their demand for only the highest quality wines possible, the ongoing training of the on‐site winemakers and viticulturists, and the overall efforts of the and its team, is a full‐time commitment. So I have been with Kayra for going on five vintages, and have no plans not to see the 10th or beyond. A winemaker puts his soul into the wines that he or she creates. I have proudly put my thumb print on the wines, and that is something I do not take lightly or abandon easily.

As for other vineyards and around the world, I have worked—or am actively working in–Chile, Spain, Italy, France, California, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and China. And In have bee in many other vineyards and wineries in lesser known lands.

How and why did you come to Turkey?

Jim Beringer, the past president of Beringer Wine Estates, contacted me on behalf of TPG and Mey when we were both in California. Beringer is in my hometown: St. Helena, in the Napa Valley.

In our early discussions, I was, to say the least, skeptical. “You want me to go to a predominantly Muslim country… and make wine?”

I was in for a real surprise.

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I first came for three months to evaluate the wineries' capability and the vineyards' potential for quality improvement. As both were in the positive, we negotiated a consulting agreement and we were off. The why‐did‐I‐stay part is multi‐leveled. As I have said in the past, I view this engagement as something of a winemaking pilgrimage, because the Anatolian region is one of the birthplaces of vinifera (wine grape) and winemaking. The indigenous are nothing if not intriguing.

Then when I saw the capability and enthusiasm of some of the young people working with Kayra, and their yearning and quest for knowledge—and couple that with the high demands and commitments of TPG and MEY management—I couldn’t back away.

You have a large network of vineyards in Kayra. Which regions did you visit in Turkey and what are your impressions of their ?

Yes, we have a vastk networ of vineyards in Turkey, which means big differences among individual vineyards in size, geography and climatic conditions.

Our first commitment is imposed on our own vineyards, getting them established and trained to produce the finest wine grapes possible from the given terrain.

We own and grow vineyards in Elazig and Sarkoy, and have long term contracts or agreements with the most like‐minded, quality‐oriented growers in all of the major wine growing areas of Turkey. This does cast a wide net, so good management is essential. The long‐term relationships that we build with private growers are critical to maintaining and improving the quality of our resultant wines, so we treat all of the vineyards with the same passionate and professional approach. “Quality first, volume second.” We stay away from private growers who are more interested in quantity than quality.

The knowledge base in Turkey for growing wine is poor compared to the global wine industry, so I work diligently with private growers, alongside Kayra’s viticulture team. We are always searching out new relationships, and better vineyards, for the quality to our customers are growing accustomed to—and should demand of all wines of Turkey, regardless of price.

One can make great wine from great vineyards, and one can make poor wine from great vineyards; but one cannot make quality wine from bad vineyards. Keeping that maxim in mind, I spend a lot of time with the vines. Improving viticulture in Turkey has become a mission for me.

In regard to terroir, Turkey has vast and differentiated soil structures and climatic attitudes, some more suited than others for the growing of grapes that make quality wines.

Tradition plays a large part of wines and winegrowing everywhere in the world. Turkey offers a proud heritage and native varieties that deserve attention.

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Do any of these regions remind you of any other wine growing areas of the world?

I don’t like to think in those terms. Turkey is Turkey, and it should be treated as such. It is unlike anywhere else. No matter the country, winegrowing regions and native grapes should be considered national treasures, because that is what they are. Cabernet, for example, is grown all over the world, including Turkey, but Öküzgözü is found only in Turkey. Conversely, I cannot imagine planting Boğazkere in Bordeaux or Burgundy, as these areas would not support the needs of this great Turkish .e Th real delight is discovering the individuality a country’s wines offer.

That said, Turkey does have some areas that are similar to Sicily, Sardinia and southern Italy. Some areas are reminiscent of the mountains and plains of the Spanish provinces, and some areas are similar to the growing areas of California.

Still, some areas of Turkey are like nowhere else. Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia (pictured below), is a good example. It is a high‐altitude, semi‐arid plateau famous for its unique geological formations, and that makes for unique wines.

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Kayra history

Mey, a Turkish wines and spirits producer, is the modern incarnation of TEKEL, the former Turkish tobacco and spirits monopoly founded in 1862 during the Ottoman period. In 1944, TEKEL established the Elaziğ winery and began producing a blend of Turkey's most valuable indigenous red grape varieties, Öküzgözü and Boğazkere.

In 2004, after legislation privatized the industry, the company was reborn as Mey. In 2006, Mey was acquired by TPG Capital and Actera, both investment companies. Under their management, the wine division of Mey was christened Kayra, a Turkish word meaning grace, benevolence, kindness.

To fulfill their mission to establish Mey/Kayra as one of the leading wine producers in Turkey, management engaged American winemaker Daniel O'Donnell to develop and implement best‐practices growing and winemaking methodologies, which he continues to do today. Under his stewardship, Kayra now produces several varieties of wines crafted for the discerning consumer. Kayra Imperial and Kayra Vintage represent the pinnacle of Kayra wines and are now being exported internationally, where they have been acclaimed for their quality, value and use of indigenous grape varieties heretofore unheard of in the Western Hemisphere.

In 2008, Kayra established Turkey's first wine education institution, Kayra Wine Academy, which currently is the sole provider in Turkey accredited by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), the world’s largest provider of wines and spirits education. Additionally, Mey/Kayra was the leading proponent for the establishment of Wines of Turkey, a national advocacy and marketing organization for all Turkish wine producers.

Kayra Vintage Öküzgözü Single Vineyard 2011

Vineyards: Aydinicik, Elazığ / Eastern Anatolia

Alcohol: 14.5% Residual Sugar: 2.4 Tartaric acidity: 4.42 g/L pH: 3.2

Grape variety: 100% Öküzgözü

Winemaker: Daniel O'Donnell.

Winemaker Notes: As a winemaker, I have always felt the Öküzgözü grape had more to offer. This is before I wandered through Şükrü Baran's vineyard. Working with him over the last few years, we have developed balanced vines that deliver the same fruit characteristics but with intense concentration and balance. Silky tannins interact with dense charms that come from this single vineyard.

Working with soft fermentations, barrel aging and no filtration brings out the best of the grape and the specific vineyard site that is uniquely Anatolian.

Aromas and flavors of dark cherries, raspberries, sour cherries, pomegranates, cornelian cherries, black mulberries, blackberries, eucalyptus, mint and straw.

Unfined and unfiltered; decanting is recommended. -- Daniel O'Donnell

Food pairing :Meat dishes with brown, mushroom or cream sauces; stews; sausages and salamis; aged cheeses; grilled meats. Kayra Öküzgözü 2012

Vineyards: Aydinicik, Elazığ / Eastern Anatolia

Alcohol: 13% Residual Sugar: 1.7 Tartaric acidity: 5.18 g/L pH: 1.7

Grape variety: 100% Öküzgözü

Winemaker: Daniel O'Donnell.

Winemaker Notes: This is truly the undiscovered treasure of Turkey, gorgeous acidity and lively bright ripe red fruit aromas are the hallmark of this fantastic wine, just a hint of menthol and exotic spices of the ancient mid orient, supple tannins that integrate seamlessly with the acidity and when decanted for a few minutes. Exciting as it is to taste it is so much more exciting to make. “After years of winemaking i have never been so enchanted by a single grape, I only hope you find it as exciting as myself.” Try this with a great steak or a bit of fine aged cheese, definitely something savory and luscious. -- Daniel O'Donnell

Food pairing : Seafood casseroles, grilled red meat, pepper steak, roasted lamb loin, pastas with spice, meat and sauce, aged cheeses