Turkish winemakers struggle with rising taxes, surprise inspections

According to a recent article, Politico unveils that the growing challenges faced by Türkiye's wine industry are under increasing government pressure. 

In 2021, Seyit Karagözoğlu was absent when inspectors visited his wine business, Paşaeli. In addition to managing the winery, Karagözoğlu travels across Anatolia, working to preserve Türkiye's endangered winemaking heritage by rediscovering forgotten grape varieties. While on the road, he received a call from his brother informing him that something was amiss — this wasn't just a routine inspection. The inspectors spent 13 hours examining Paşaeli's facilities, ultimately finding a minor violation that led to a two-year legal battle. Although they were not convicted, the brothers were fined $50,000.

Turkish wine embodies many contradictions: the grapevine was likely first domesticated in southeastern Anatolia, and the country ranks as the 6th largest grape producer globally, with around 1,400 indigenous grape varieties. However, the potential of the harvest remains largely untapped, with only 3 per cent being used for winemaking, while the majority of grapes are directed towards raisins and grape molasses.

At the same time, new laws from the country’s more conservative government are making it harder for independent winemakers to survive. This year, after the hottest summer on record, the harvest came earlier than usual.

Despite these difficulties, a dedicated and growing movement among winemakers like Karagözoğlu is working to bring Türkiye's heritage grapes back to life.

Much of the country's wine heritage was lost during the early 20th century with the forced migration and population exchanges of Anatolia’s Christian minorities. When the Ottoman Empire's Armenian and Greek communities, who had traditionally been involved in winemaking, were expelled after World War I, wine production plummeted, and the generational knowledge that came with it was lost. As farmers increasingly replace their vineyards with more profitable crops, many of these traditional grape varieties and indigenous vines are vanishing.

Umay Çeviker is determined to reverse this trend. An architect with a passion for Türkiye's wine grapes, he co-founded Yaban Kolektif — an initiative focused on promoting and preserving Turkish viticulture by collaborating with small local vineyards to produce wine.

Another winemaker dedicated to rediscovering these historic vines is Udo Hirsch, an 81-year-old German transplant in Cappadocia. Hirsch, known for his quiet determination, is committed to nurturing local grape varieties in the region's volcanic soil and crafting wine in traditional amphorae.

One of the most significant challenges to overcome is government pressure, which continues to intensify. Following years of escalating bureaucratic constraints, taxes, and unexpected inspections — including one that involved Karagözoğlu in 2021 — the Turkish government introduced draft communiqué 2023/50 in December 2023, mandating alcohol producers to provide substantial collateral based on their production levels. This could pose a serious barrier for boutique wineries, especially those in their early stages.

“Today, government inspectors have more authority than a judge when they come to inspect our wineries. If they find something wrong, they have the power to shut the company down for up to six months. This is guilty until proven innocent, there’s nothing we can do,” Karagözoğlu said. “Financially, this can be disastrous… it drains our energy.”

Despite the political pressure, Turkish wine still holds the potential to become as renowned, respected, and unique as wine from Italy or Georgia. The resilience of Turkish grapes and the winemakers nurturing them can also provide valuable insights to the global community regarding ecological diversity in the face of climate change.

“I am proud of what we do. I’m proud of producing these wines from these unknown grapes,” Karagözoğlu said. “In Türkiye, we are sitting on a great treasure.”

By Naila Huseynova