Efforts ongoing to promote traditional viticulture in Aksaray

ANKARA

In a bid to protect Türkiye's rich grape heritage for future generations, members of a local preservation association have meticulously examined 32 grape varieties brought from across the country to Aksaray’s Güzelyurt district for the purpose of overseeing their cultivation.

The members of a Cappadocia association on preservation and sustenance of traditional viticulture and local grapes, KURDER, will determine whether or not the grapes they sampled qualify as industrial, fresh or dried grapes.

“We'll examine each one separately and try to figure out which grapes are better suited for a particular production. Naturally, this can be a long procedure,” said Hacer Özkaya, the head of the association.

They will instruct the manufacturers in light of this elaborative process, she noted.

These 32 types of grapes were farmed in the eastern province of Elazığ, the southern province of Gaziantep, the northwestern province of Çanakkale, the Black Sea province of Giresun, as well as the central provinces of Aksaray and Nevşehir.

"Though there are 1432 varieties of grapes, only 63 are utilized commercially for products like wine, molasses, vinegar and drying. Many of our grapes are completely unknown,” Özkaya pointed out.

Remarking that there are even some species on the edge of extinction, she drew attention to the significance of protecting vineyards and grapes in this sense.

She further mentioned their intention of applying to UNESCO in order to safeguard these endangered species in the coming years.

One of the members, Duygu Kırış, also highlighted the significance of protecting the certain grapes grown using an old-fashioned viticulture technique that allows for natural, harmonious growth without the use of pesticides in the Cappodocia region.