Eastern & Southeastern Anatolia
Extreme continental
High, harsh country along the upper Euphrates and the Tigris, the source of Öküzgözü and Boğazkere, Turkey's most important native reds.
Overview
About Eastern & Southeastern Anatolia
Around Elazığ and Malatya, vineyards lie along the upper Euphrates at more than 1,000 metres, where winters are severe. This is the home of Öküzgözü, now the most widely planted red grape in Turkey, a fruity, fresh red with soft tannins. Further south-east, around Diyarbakır on the Tigris, dry-farmed bush vines of Boğazkere give dark, tannic wines that age for a decade or more.
The two grapes are traditionally blended, Öküzgözü for fruit and acidity and Boğazkere for structure. Kayra, in Elazığ, makes all of its Öküzgözü and Boğazkere wines here, and other producers buy grapes from these vineyards.
Eastern & Southeastern Anatolia is marked on the map.
Turkey
Shaded: Elazig, Malatya, Diyarbakir. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Extreme continental
Severe winters, when temperatures around Elazığ can fall below −20 degrees Celsius, and hot, dry summers with large swings between day and night. Around Diyarbakır the summer days are very hot and the nights cold.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Red clay, decomposed granite and chalky clay around Elazığ and Malatya, and decomposed sandstone and red clay near Diyarbakır.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Eastern Anatolia is an informal region name, and its wines are sold by grape and producer.
Elazığ or Diyarbakır
Province names on a label show where the grapes grew, with no legal rules attached.
Öküzgözü / Boğazkere blends
The classic local red is a blend of the two, though each is also made alone.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.