Central Anatolia
Continental, high plateau
A high, dry plateau of volcanic and pebbly soils, with cold winters and big day-to-night swings, home of Emir and Kalecik Karası and of Turkey's Ankara-based wineries.
Overview
About Central Anatolia
The plateau around Ankara, Cappadocia, Kayseri and Aksaray sits at 800 to 1,200 metres, where the wide gap between hot days and cold nights preserves acidity. It is the home of two native grapes: Kalecik Karası, from near Ankara, and Emir, from Cappadocia.
Kavaklıdere, founded in Ankara in 1929 and usually described as the first private winery of the Republic, is the region's leading name. Chardonnay, Tempranillo and Syrah are also grown here, with Narince, Öküzgözü and Dımrıt.
Where is a grape grown?
Hover a marker to see what's grown there, and click it to open that place. On a touch screen, tap once to preview and again to open. Bigger markers have more grapes linked to them.
Turkey
Shaded: Ankara, Nevsehir, Kayseri, Kirsehir, Nigde, Aksaray. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Continental, high plateau
Hot, dry summers and cold winters, with 200 to 600 mm of rain a year and a large difference between day and night temperatures.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Sand, sandstone, decomposed volcanic tuff and pebbly clay loam.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Central Anatolia is an informal region name. Places within it, such as Cappadocia and Kalecik, are known by reputation, not by law.
Central Anatolia on the label
Shows origin only, with no rules for grapes, yields or methods.
Within Central Anatolia
Subregions
Cappadocia
A landscape of volcanic tuff and rock-cut cellars, with high-altitude vineyards above 1,000 metres and the home of Emir, a crisp, razor-sharp white.
Kalecik
A district on the Kızılırmak river north-east of Ankara, the home of Kalecik Karası, a light, red-fruited grape that was nearly lost before its revival in the 1970s.
What's grown here
Grapes
Grapes linked to Central Anatolia or to a place within it. Each grape's page links back here.
Kalecik Karası
The home of the grape: river-moderated vineyards at about 650 metres make light, perfumed reds, rosés and sparkling wine.
Narince
High-plateau vineyards give crisper, more mineral versions.
Boğazkere
Grown in Cappadocia.
Emir
Grown in Cappadocia.
Öküzgözü
Grown in Cappadocia.