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Growth in Turkey's Vineyards |
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Written by Reuters by Gareth Jones
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Wednesday, 22 March 2006 17:49 |
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When the Ozbek family began planting vines, their neighbors told them they were committing a mortal sin and would face divine retribution.
"They said it was wrong, against Islam, to produce wine. They said our soil would dry up and it would no longer rain or snow. But that was more than 10 years ago," said Cengiz Ozbek.
"Then they saw how much money we started to make. Now, they too are planting vineyards," said the 37-year-old farmer, his weather-beaten face cracking into a smile.
Half of the 40 families living in this tiny village some 100 kilometers northeast of the Turkish capital, Ankara, now produce grapes for wine, despite the Muslim teaching that alcohol is haram, or forbidden.
Nearly all Turks are nominally Muslim, but the country's secular system keeps religion on a tight rein and has long fostered a tolerant attitude towards alcohol despite the Koran's teaching that it is sinful.
"The old imam here was against the vineyards, but he left and was replaced by a younger, more pragmatic man who says it is a matter for the individual's own conscience," said Ozbek.
Nestled beside the Kizilirmak River among the craggy, treeless hills of central Anatolia, Uyurca boasts a mild micro-climate and a soil ideal for grapes. The village now produces about 500 tons of grapes annually, up from just 12 tons in their first harvest in 1996. It sells its entire production to Kavaklidere, Turkey's largest and oldest winemaker.
The Ozbeks are part of an ancient tradition of wine production in Anatolia stretching more than 4,000 years.
Today, Kavaklidere has a production capacity of 18.5 million liters and a 35 percent share of Turkey's registered wine market. It exports about 20 percent of its total production.
The company's factories use state-of-the-art equipment to produce such wines as Kalecik Karasi, Okuzgozu and Narince and it has won dozens of prizes in international competitions.
But Kavaklidere managing director Ali Basman complains of rising taxes, hostile government attitudes and a large illegal market in liquor, which he says helped cut company profits by 15 percent in 2005.
Tax on wine has soared by more than 100 percent to 3.28 lira ($2.44) per liter -- about half the price of a bottle of table wine -- since the Justice and Development Party, which has roots in political Islam, swept to power in 2002. Tax on beer has risen by 50 percent and on raki by 26 percent.
"People in Turkey often avoid paying their taxes, but alcohol consumption is an easy target to tax, especially for a government that disapproves of alcohol on religious grounds," said Basman.
"But when you raise taxes, you also encourage the black market. About 60 percent of wine sold in Turkey is now produced illegally, though the quality is generally poor. We face heavy competition from these illegal producers."
With its climate, soil and fast-growing economy, Turkey has great potential both as a wine exporter and a market, Basman said. Turks still drink only about 1 liter of wine per capita each year, industry sources say, compared with 66 liters in France.
Turkey is the fifth-biggest producer of grapes in the world, but only two percent are used in wine production.
"Wine is still considered a luxury item in Turkey. As people get richer, they are starting to experiment, to try better-quality wines, but it is a slow process," Basman said.
Annual consumption of wine in Turkey now totals 90 million liters, up from 35 million 15 years ago.
Basman attributed the increased consumption partly to Turkey's booming tourism industry. German, British and Russian tourists drink Kavaklidere and other wines when they visit Antalya, Bodrum and other resorts. |