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PRESSPACK
UK PRESS CONTACT
Sarah Abbott MW 38 Mill Street Bedford MK40 3HD
T +44 (0)1234 245533E [email protected]
ARCADIA WINERY
Lüleburgaz Office: Hamitabat Köyü Lüleburgaz, 39750 Kırklareli Turkey
T +90 (533) 258 00 55
ISTANBUL OFFICE
Kılıçalipasa Mah. Kumrulu Sokak No: 42/4, Cihangir/Beyoglu, 34433 Istanbul Turkey
T +90 (212) 292 08 83F +90 (212) 251 17 31
“ this Thrace winery specialises in very elegant, cool climate whites”, Tim Atkin MW
“ Impressive wines...consistently good”. Jamie Goode
ABOUT ARCADIA VINEYARDSArcadia vineyards is run by father and daughter Ozcan and Zeynep Arca.
Ozcan, who has a Masters from Lancaster University, worked in engineering before founding his business in luxury tourism. Zeynep studied International Relations in Paris. They share a passion for travel, wine, gastronomy and culture. Ozcan was a producer at the renowned Dostlar Theatre Company in Istanbul, and Zeynep worked as a producer for documentaries and music videos before joining her father in the family business. She also worked numerous wine harvests in France, New Zealand, Spain and the USA.
The Arcadia project began over 10 years ago with a search for the right site and varieties. Zeynep persuaded two renowned French specialists to join them: Professor Dr Alain Carbonneau, Professor at Montpellier SupAgro, as viticutural advisor, and Dr. Michel Salgues, former CEO of Roederer California, as consultant oenologist.
Soil samples and climatic data were analysed from locations across Turkey. The site selected is in Thrace, in the far north-west of Turkey, about an hour and a half from Istanbul. Thirty five hectares of vineyards, at an altitude of 150 meters, areplanted. This location has a continental climate, tempered by the Black Sea to the east, and Aegean Sea to the west. The terroir gives grapes of excellent ripeness, lively acidity and notably bright aromatics. The approach to viticulture is environmentally sensitive, and winemaking is light handed: the winery is designed to use gravity flow and minimise pumping, and allwines are bottled unfined and very lightly filtered.
The varieties planted include Sauvignon Gris, an old and low-yielding clone of Sauvignon Blanc which gives deliciously creamy, fresh Sauvignon. Arcadia is the first winery in Turkeyto cultivate this variety and reviews of the first release wereoutstanding. Other white varieties planted are Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and the indigenous Narince. Red varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the native Okuzgozu.
Today, Zeynep and her team produce a range of exemplary white, rosé and red wines with the emphasis on nuance and vitality. They are listed in Istanbul’s finest restaurants, as well as in boutique wine stores across Turkey.
This part of Turkey is rich in cultural and historical interest, as well as natural beauty, and at Arcadia, they are passionate about raising its profile as a destination for cultural and gastronomic tourism. Bakucha Vineyard Hotel and SPA, an 18 room boutique hotel with a chefs table restaurant is open in the ArcadiaEstate, offering the visitors the delicious tastes of the region, in a setting amongst the stunning views of the vineyards and mountains.
Arcadia Vineyards are seeking representation in Europe. For further information please contact:
Zeynep Arca Salliel
T +90 (532) 4119989 E [email protected] www.arcadiavineyards.com
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Arcadia is in the north east of Thrace. The ancient name for this area was Lozengrad - ‘grape town’.
It was an important and historic viticultural centre, until the Balkan and World Wars disrupted or destroyed most vineyards. We were among the first wine producers to replant here inthe early 2000s; in the years since we started, more than 100 hectares have been planted or replanted by a range of locals and investors. Today, Thrace is considered to be one of the most exciting, dynamic, high quality wine regions of Turkey. We are very proud to have been among the pioneers of this resurrection of an ancient terroir.
Thrace is bordered by Bulgaria on the north and Greece on the west, and is surrounded by the Black Sea to the north east and the Marmara Sea to the south. Our vineyards have a broadly continental climate, tempered by the proximity of the Black and Marmara Seas. We have a high diurnal temperature range, with warm days and very cool nights.
The prevailing wind comes from the north-east, off the Istranca Mountains. This brings to the vineyards a constant fresh breeze which support our commitment to sustainable viticulture and minimal intervention. The soil is mainly sedimentary, of alluvial origin, and would once have been a sea floor. It is predominantly silty clay,with sandstone and granite substrates. The vineyard is planted in an area with many little hills and slopes, at an altitude varying from 110 to 150 meters.
WHERE WE ARE
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ITALY
ROMANIA
BLACK SEA
AEGEAN SEA
IONIAN SEA
ADRIATIC SEA
SERBIA
HUNGARY
CROATIA
SLOVENIA
BULGARIA
GREECE
MACEDONIA
ALBANIA
MONTENEGRO
BOSNIA ANDHERZEGOVINA
TURKEY
KESAN
BLACK SEA
SEA OF MARMARA
KIRKLARELI
BULGARIABULGARIA
SARAYLÜLEBURGAZ
TEKIRDAG
CORLU
CERKEZKÖY
CATALCASILIVRI
UZUNKÖPRÜ
EDIRNE
ISTANBUL
ARNAVUTKÖY
Within Europe
Within Turkey
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"From Kırklareli in North- East Thrace. First vintage. 3 Months Sur-lie and 8 months in bottle.Definite leesy note, almost like champagne but with the orange aroma of the variety. Leesy flavor too, and a slight grip. Creamy, gentle but fresh. No fining. Lots of stony texture. Drink 2015-2016 " 16,5 /20Julia Harding- www.jancisrobinson.com
WINE SUMMARYFrom our first harvest, we offer a range of wines that express the pure tastes and personality of our ancient terroir.
Arcadia Odrysia Series - bright, lively and very drinkable
The ODRYSIA series is produced to honour the name of the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace, reigned between 5th and 3rd Century BC, who were known for their vinegrowing and winemaking.
ODRYSIA Narince
The indigenous grape Narince, literally translates as “delicately”. The position of Arcadia Vineyards in the valley stretching below Istranca mountains is identical to the grape’s home town, Tokat. This elegant example of Narince expresses the unique fine fruity tastes of this noble White. Citrus tones, especially lemon and White fruit, is followed by stone fruit and pear notes. Refreshing with a balanced acidity and middle long finish.
ODRYSIA GRISSauvignon Gris - Pinot Gris
The one and only, Arcadia Gris combines the creamy aromatic lift of Sauvignon Gris with the sleek, nutty perfume of Pinot Gris. The nose is expressive and broad, with notes of tangerine, lemon and peach. Generous but fresh on the palate, with balancing acidity and moderate alcohol. Long, crisp and elegantly perfumed on the finish.
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“Interesting aroma of peppery citrus and pear. A little smoky. Slight grip, fresh green fruits, lots of texture. Bone dry, chalky and fresh. Very good. Moreish. 17/20 Drink 2015-2017”" Julia Harding- www.jancisrobinson.com
WINE SUMMARYArcadia Finesse Series – nuanced, elegant and characterful
Arcadia Finesse Series is a range of wines through which the ancient, and almost forgotten, wine terroir of Thrace speaks. Finesse Series wines come from the plots that give our most nuanced, individual and mineral wines. They re are elegant wines that are wonderful with good food, and they are listed in many of Istanbul’s best restaurants.
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Arcadia Finesse Sauvignon Blanc, Narince
This innovative dry white blends Sauvignon Blanc with Narince, an indigenous Turkish variety prized for its mineral but exotic fruit and crisp, nuanced acidity.
Arresting aromatics of quince, white flowers and passionfruit on the nose.Excellent intensity on the palate, with lively acidity, expressive fruit and a sleek but elegant texture. Finishes long and elegant, with nutty fruit and a lightly floral perfume.
Arcadia Finesse Red Blend
Arcadia Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France and Merlot, aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Bright and intense ruby. Ripe but fresh on the nose, with aromas of sweet spice, balsam and red and black fruit. Lovely lift and aromatic definition on the palate, with notes of plums, blackberry and blueberry. Full-bodied but balanced, with moderate (13.5% alcohol), and full but fine tannins. Finishes with ripe, expressive fruit and scented lift.
"Supple and elegant with pure, fresh berry fruits and some black cherry notes. Real restraint here: deliciously focused. 91/100’, Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com
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Special Series- Latte Harvest- Botrytis SWEET WINE
Otherwise known as “the noble Rot”, when botrytis finds its way to develop within the skin of the berry, it turns the pulp into a rich, sweet, honey like nectar. 333 is a sweet wine that is produced with these berries.These wines are also make very good collection wines because they age very nicely for many years.
333 LATE HARVEST BOTRYTIS 2013 37,5 cl – The sweetest of the Arcadia wines 333 Late harvest Botrytis is the one and only botrytis wine made in Turkey. Elegantly fresh and lively with lemon, white flower and orange notes. A Gold medal winner from the BIWC 2015.
WINE SUMMARY
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Arcadia A Series - rich and structured
Arcadia A Series are our �nest red wines. They are based on Cabernet Franc, which thrives and ripens to perfection in our climate of cool nights, bright days and warm summers. They are intensely scented, with �rm but �ne tannins and emphatic but supple fruit.
Arcadia A Series Cabernet Franc
Gorgeously scented, with lovely aromas of blueberry and sweet spice. Very concentrated, with dense but plush and lovely bright freshness. A really seductive, expressive example of Cabernet Franc.
Arcadia A Series Blend
Deeply coloured. Intensely ripe nose of cassis and sweet �oral fruit. Fine grained tannin, with a concentrated fruit core. Firmer on the palate, thanks to the Cabernet Sauvignon, but still with the seductive, lifted perfume of Cabernet Franc.
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“Cold maceration and long cool ferment. 12 months in oak, 50% new. Gravity fed and hand punch-downs. Classy, slightly leafy Cabernet franc nose. Pure and zesty. Tannins are relatively soft, the oak nicely in the background. Fresh, softly textured but not flabby. 16/20 Drink 2015-2018Julia Harding-www.jancisrobinson.com
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WHAT THE PRESS SAY (CONTINUED)
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Zero Is where the Real Fun starts. There’s too much counting Everywhere else!
- Hafiz, I heard God Laughin
Technology, as Max Frisch said, is the art of arranging the real so that we no longer notice it. In a hotel room in Instanbul, on the way home from the Digital Wine Communications Conference in Izmir, I can hear the call to prayer bouncing around the minarets across the city and I am wondering: what makes Turkish wine so distinctly Turkish? It was a question that I knew had no easy answers.
Where do you start with a country as complex as Turkey? I remember first hearing about Thrace in Ancient History studies at school; an area covering parts of Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria whose people traded wines with the Ancient Greeks and feared for their fierce archery skills
Plato criticised the ancient Thracian custom for not diluting their wine, “Both men and women, drink unmixed wine, which they pour on their garments, and this they think a happy and glorious institution.” Plato said this at a moment in history when wine had become a symbol of Ancient Greek culture. The sharing of the chalice representing democracy, civilisation and refinement. The Ancient Greeks were also the first to make the distinction between the Eastern and Western worlds.
Thrace is about one and half hours drive from Istanbul. Istanbul refuses to give up for 60km and deserves its title as a mega-city with a population of 15 million. But before long, the countryside becomes quiet, dry and ancient and is criss-crossed with power lines before reaching a forest and horse-drawn carts.
We are driven by Ozcan Arca, who owns Arcadia Vineyards, the first official vineyard in the area for some time. Ozcan i70 years old and has been up the night before dancing at the EWBC party. He has had no sleep yet his energy reminds me of Angelo Gaja.
I ask Ozcan, when did he first decide to get into wine? “WhenI had finished universit , we went on holidays down to the sea and drank a dreadful salty wine that had sea water in it (to avoid alcohol taxes). Five or six years later, I was determined to turn this attitude around and learn more. The first greatwines I had were Barolo and a Grand Cru St-Emilion.”
Thrace is predominantly an Alevi muslim area, a sect of Islam that prays in Turkish rather than Arabic, drinks wine and dances as part of their rituals (although they do not condone getting drunk). The Alevi have personal wine cellars in their house and are allowed to make up to 500 litres at home for their own personal use. They make wine underground just as they do in Georgia. When we say goodbye at the local restaurant after a lunch of Thracian lamb chops and a salad of tomato and red onion, they put their hand on their heart to say goodbye.
Instanbul is divided between Asia and Europe by a bridge. This is how Turkish people divide the country, although it is a geographic rather than cultural division for the most part. Thrace is in the European part of Turkey. At the 2012 European Wine Blogger’s Conference in Izmir there are posters proclaiming Turkey is a wine culture with over 6000 years of history. Although it is a fragmented history.
It was not until after the vineyard was established that Ozcan found old maps from the time of the agreement between the French and the Ottoman empire, called The Capitulations, and they found their vineyard very close to a wine road that was once used to transport wine to the Black Sea. After phylloxera hit France, the French produced wine here, producing 60 million litres a year to satisfy French thirst and make up the shortfall. The Ottoman empire took stamp duty on the wine but, during World War I, the entire industry disappeared. After a survey of many landscapes across Turkey, Ozcan had inadvertently discovered the dormant vineyards.
When the 26 year old winemaker, Hickmet, applied for a position at Arcadia Vineyards, he was asked if he had had any experience making wine. No. “That’s good,” as Ozcan explains, we wanted young people without any preconceptions and who want to create something for the future. They are guided by consultants Michel Sagues (who
Awake in Turkey – Arcadia Vineyards in Thrace, #ewbc 2012 November 25, 2012 by Juel Mahoney
http://www.winewomansong.co.uk/index.php/2012/11/awake-in-turkey-arcadia-vineyards-in-thrace-ewbc-2012/
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set up Roederer Estate in the Anderson Valley, California) and Professor Alain Carbonneux from the University of Montpellier. The Arcadia vineyards are located close to the local technical college at Terkidag in Eastern Thrace, which specialise in agriculture, viticlture and oenology. Before deciding to build his own winery, Ozcan visited 50 to 60 wineries around the world. It was then his daughter, Zeynap, decided to go to UC Davis to study wine.
One of the team had to take his young child to hospital that morning. He comes back later for the tasting, exhausted. “Babies grow like that,” Ozcan says philosophically to the young group around the table.
Ozcan, Arcadia Vineyards winemaking team and Sarah Abbott MW
The first thing that strikes me when I arrive in Turkey from France is the energy; it is an old culture filled with youngpeople. The median age in Turkey in 2012 (where half the population are older, and half the population are younger) is 28.8 years. The median age in France is 40.4 years and in Italy, 43.8 years. (CIA World Factbook, July 26 2012)
The stainless steel tanks are quite small and the winery is designed to let gravity transfer the grapes instead of pumping. We taste the new white wines from the tanks. The young winemaker tells us his experiment with putting sauvignon gris lees with the sauvignon blanc fermenting in the tank. This tempers the sauvignon blanc but also giving it texture. The fruit is there but subdued like biting into the local dessert called Hayrabolu - expecting to taste ultra sweetness but finding it is made of soft cheese. It is more like a Sancerrerather than a New Zealand sauvignon blanc but even that does not do it justice. It is a French variety, but there is something self-assured about this wine, as if it is not trying to hard to be anything but itself.
Later at a local truck stop where the food is local, fresh and very good we try the Cabernet Sauvignon. We have plates of local dishes brought out on silver plates, one after another: soups, meatballs and I try veal brains (because I can, although no one else wants to join in). The Cabernet Sauvignon is not what I was expecting. What was I expecting? Some of the red wines I had tasted in Turkey, which were heavy on the oak and would go well with a packet of Marlboro Reds. Or perhaps, a heavy new world Cabernet. This had a light freshness, a crunchy light fruit, and even though we are sitting in the sun, it was refreshing. We talk about Sufi poetsand how they refer to wine – is it symbolic or literal?
Central to the interpretation of poet Hafiz … is theunderstanding of the symbolism of wine. As Inayat Khan observes, “The word ‘wine’ is often used, and according to the mystic each person drinks a wine peculiar to himself. Hafiz pictures the whole world as a wine-press, and everyperson takes that wine which is in accord with his own evolution. The wine of one is not the wine of another. He wishes to express the idea that every person, whether evolved or ignorant, whether honest or dishonest, whether he realizes it or not, whether he has great belief or no belief at all, is in every case taking a certain wine. It is the type of intoxication produced by that particular wine which is his individuality, and when a person changes, he does so by drinking another wine. Every different kind of wine changes the outlook on life, and every change in life is like taking a different wine” (pp. 152-153). The Mystery Hafiz of Shiraz
We take the 2009 Finesse Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Gris back with us to Istanbul. It is our last night in Turkey and we decide to go to an upmarket fish restaurant on the harbourcalled Arsipel. The owner joins our table and tells us about his time managing a circus in Tanzania before coming back to Turkey to start up the restaurant. The seafood dishes are innovative: tuna cured like a pastrami and excellent calamari and local fishes. The white wine is superb with the seafood, carrying the meal and conversation, soothing and smooth.
That weekend it was Ataturk Remembrance Day, the founder of modern Turkey. Ataturk reformed the language and Turkish alphabet by abandoning the Arabic script. Over dinner we talked a lot about the history of Turkey. Ozcan filled in the gaps, providing the Eastern perspective to whatwe thought we knew. The restaurant was filled with groups ofpeople enjoying dinner and wine. It could be a top restaurant anywhere? Seafood speaks more of its place than even wine and it was so fresh the combination could have only been from here.
Wine is the point where culture and the land meet. Wine is not just wine here, it is interwoven into their complex history, and is the nation, their hopes and dreams about the future. A new, but ancient, wine country awakes.
Come to My House “If your cellar is empty, This whole Universe Could drink forever From mine!”
- Hafi
Many thanks to my friend Sarah Abbott MW who took me to visit Arcadia Vineyards and a special big thanks to Ozcan Arca for driving us and the hospitality.
http://www.winewomansong.co.uk/index.php/2012/11/awake-in-turkey-arcadia-vineyards-in-thrace-ewbc-2012/
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WHAT THE PRESS SAY (CONTINUED)
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WHAT THE PRESS SAY (CONTINUED)
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WHAT THE PRESS SAY ENGLISH TRANSLATION
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For the investment they started eight years ago, Zeynep Arca Şallıel says “We bottled our dream” and adds that the investments will continue: “We will turn the area into a centre for agro tourism.”
You are a family known for tourism investments, how did you decide investing in a vineyard and produce wine?
While studying abroad for my International Relations degree, the curiosity for the culinary world I had that came from my family upbringing became a deeper
passion. I had the chance to meet the right people along the way. In the coming years, when I started working in our family business, in the field of tourism investment, I had the chance to nurture this passion. In time it became more than a hobby, an occupation in harmony with my profession. And of course, wine is an inseparable part of the culinary culture. My father Özcan Arca is also very
passionate about food and wine. So our conversations at the end of a work day were always accompanied by a nice glass of wine and the conversation always somehow came to the hidden potential in Turkey for producing world class terroir wines. The idea of viticulture and wine production were born as a dream during these conversations and at some point we decided to act on it and started. Today, eight years after this decision, that dream has become an actual business, that has given its first fruits. Now we continue forward, with an enthusiasm growing at every step.
Viticulture and agriculture, aren’t they a little difficult for a female executive?
Being a female executive has its challenges in every field but it also has its advantages of bringing a new point of view, a new angle. Agriculture has its own particular challenges in comparison to other fields but in terms of advantage versus challenge ratio I would say that it is just the same. Viticulture and wine production is a very particular field of work: it is an agricultural, rural profession but at the same time it is also very
urban. It is completely related to nature but also very urban via the consumption aspect and having an entire culture built around it. Having the two together was one of the appeals of viticulture for me as an occupation. I think that one’s personality is more important in this field than one’s gender. Because working in viticulture and wine requires a genuine passion and devotion towards what you do.
What was the process you went through, while starting this investment, what were your priorities, the important points for wine production?
We started by preparing and educating ourselves, to be able to produce high quality wines. We visited important wine regions throughout the world, from New Zealand to France, and took a closer look at what was being done in different places. We have spent a period of doing part detective, part wonderer and part winery and viticulture manpower work. Than we focused our search to particular regions in Turkey. We knew exactly the type of wine we wanted to make and we looked for the right terroir that could deliver us that wine. The style of wine in the quest of which we started this journey required very rigorous choices for the establishment of the vineyard. Our aim was to produce unmanipulated terroir wines that reflect the natural unique tastes of the grapes, and remain fresh and full of vitality until the day they are drunk. We had a long research period in the Aegean and Thrace regions. We got very excited by the current location of Arcadia Vineyards, located in the middle of Thrace, between the North of Luleburgaz and Istranca mountains, with a very interesting geography and a very suitable microclimate. We started a scientific research period where we gathered soil samples and long term weather statistics for several plots we were considering. When we put all this information on the table, we saw that the current land of Arcadia today was the very place we were looking for.
Zeynep Arca Şallıel, Chairman of Arcadia Vineyards:
“We bottled our dream”Founding partners of Robinson Club Sarıgerme Park Hotels, Zeynep Arca Şallıel and her father, Özcan Arca, have turned an idea they discussed during their wine tasting sessions into a huge investment, and founded Arcadia Vineyards.
CEO’s Magazine, April 2011
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What are the important factors to produce a high quality wine?
First of all, the main ingredient for the quality of your wine would be the soil and
the climate, than a vineyard established with the right choices according to the particular soil and climate in question, and later the choices you make at the vinification stage. You may choose a more conventional style of winemaking or a more boutique approach to produce terroir wines. We choose the latter. We wanted to establish the right balance from the start. This was the first part. Once you have these grapes, it is also very important to be able to turn them into a wine that will remain true to the potential of these grapes. That is why we keep very high standards in our winemaking processes and at many stages of production we use techniques that we can call “hand made”, paying special attention to each wine.
Did you reach the terroir wine you were aiming when you started?
Today, we can define Arcadia as a terroir in the making. Establishing a terroir is a long term process. You need to blend in completely with the nature around you. We are at the beginning of this journey but we believe we have already a great relationship with the nature of our area, harmonious and complementary. The results of our first vintage have been a great encouragement, we are very happy to have reached this quality from the first year on.
What are your evaluations on the Turkish Wine Industry, how is it perceived abroad?
The wine industry in Turkey is undergoing a great breakthrough. There is a very serious, promising movement. We see investors who enter the field with the right attitude and the right planning, who are already getting the first successes of their work. Arcadia is one of these projects. As the wine industry, we are going
through a period where the boutique, regional approach is getting stronger. In the world as well, wine industry has always flourished by regionalisation, and by exploiting their true potential. Now there is a movement towards this in Turkey. This is very promising, although we are currently way behind where we should be in the international scene. Today, very special wines are being produced in Turkey and I do believe Turkish wines will gain the reputation they deserve in the near future.
Are you going to have investments other than viticulture and wine production?
Coming from Tourism as we do, we also looked at the culinary culture from the tourism point of view. In Turkey we have a very rich unexploited potential for tourism and the only part that is actually used today is the sun and sea. We live in a geography that has a vast richness beyond this. We also see that in the world, the trends in tourism and the very concept of vacation itself is changing and there is a fast increasing demand for boutique travelling, and agro, eco and gastronomy tourism. Turkey, especially Thrace, has an unexploited sophisticated potential for this new type of tourism, as well as Cultural Tourism, which is currently the second biggest tourism segment in the world. We aim to make Arcadia Vineyards a culinary oasis in nature, a centre frequented by food and wine enthusiasts where they can taste fine wines and local delicacies. The historical and architectural works in the area are very important cultural values, such as the Edirne Selimiye mosque- a Unesco Cultural Heritage Site, and Longoz forest on the north of Kırklareli, which is about to be declared a biosphere protection site by the same.
When you put all these together, Arcadia will be a centre of attraction, where people will experience the country life, have walks, hikes or horse riding tours in nature or through the vineyards, relax in a world class spa, taste both classical and new interpretations of local delicacies, and visit historical or natural sites in the area. We have started working on this.
We will always remain a boutique producer
Zeynep Arca Şallıel says that they picked the 35 hectares to be planted as vineyards with “metaphorical tweezers” from the total of 200 hectares of land. She says that they have been very meticulous while establishing the vineyards: “We have taken more than 1500 samples for soil analysis and we choose the vineyard parcels to be planted after an evaluation of these results with experts.
We will always remain a boutique producer as we do not want to change our approach to winemaking. Therefore we will never produce more than a certain quantity of wine. We set our upper limit to 150 thousand litres per year and we plan to reach this slowly, in time.”
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