Arda Winery

TÜRKİYE · THRACE · EDİRNE

Size

20 ha · 100,000 bottles/year

Grapes

Papazkarası · Narince · Chardonnay · Sauvignon Blanc · Sémillon · Cabernet Sauvignon · Syrah · Gamay · Merlot

Farming

Sustainable & eco-friendly · minimal intervention · native-yeast (Gala range)

Turkey’s oldest wine road begins in its far northwestern corner, where the borders of Türkiye, Greece and Bulgaria almost touch. This is Thrace — mythologised as the birthplace of Dionysus and once the source of wine for the Byzantine Empire — and near the historic city of Edirne, on a vine-covered hill that rises straight off the road, sits Arda, the story of a family who decided in the early 2000s to revive their ancestors’ winemaking tradition. Alongside the indigenous grapes of Thrace, they have planted internationally acclaimed varieties around the winery, all farmed with sustainable, eco-friendly practices, and the goal throughout is the same: wines made with minimal intervention that reflect their terroir as fully as possible. It’s a genuine family affair — Ilyas Saç founded it, his daughter Şeniz oversees the winemaking, and his son Yavuz runs the winery — the kind of place where the family does everything themselves.

Cold winters, constant winds

Upper Thrace around Edirne is a world away from the warm Aegean of most Turkish wine. Winters here are cold and snowy, summers dry and swept by constant northern winds, with sandy, stony soils over terra rossa and clay that drain well and reward the low yields Arda is after. The estate has doubled in size since opening and can now make up to 100,000 bottles a year, split between native and international grapes — Narince and Papazkarası alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Gamay and Merlot.

A priest’s grape and a restless spirit

Arda’s signature is Papazkarası — literally “the priest’s black.” The grape has a storied history stretching back to the Eastern Roman Empire; legend holds that the Byzantine clergy of Constantinople favoured wines made from it, which is how it got its name. Interestingly, it’s one grape Arda doesn’t grow itself: the winery works with independent growers — chiefly the Altıparmak brothers — whose 40-year-old bush vines sit near Lake Gala on sandy, loamy soils. That lake gives the flagship range its name and its identity: the Gala series is named for the nearby lake, and each label features a different bird, a nod to its famous bird sanctuary. Şeniz coaxes a remarkable range from a single variety here — an unoaked red, a fragrant rosé, and a delicate blanc de noir among them.

What sets Arda apart is a genuine spirit of experimentation. It’s one of a small number of Turkish wineries willing to try things and put them in front of drinkers — co-fermentations, late-harvest dry reds, extended macerations, unexpected blends of native and international grapes. The Narince story captures the ethos: Arda once bought in its Narince fruit, but has since planted the grape on the estate itself — gaining full control over quality and, in the process, helping extend the grape’s terroir footprint into Thrace, far from its Black Sea home.

Rounding out the estate is a restaurant serving the wines with local specialities — the kind of warm hospitality that has made Arda a favourite stop on the Thrace Vineyard Route.

Arda is a family’s labour of love, made in one of Türkiye’s coldest, most northerly vineyards: characterful, curious, and deeply rooted in a grape the Byzantines are said to have loved.

Gala Red

A natural red from 100% hand-harvested Papazkarası, fermented with indigenous yeasts and given extended maceration of over 40 days for aromatic depth. Bottled with only minimal sulfur, unclarified and unfiltered, and with no oak ageing, it captures the pure essence of the grape. Light, bright red in the glass, with a nose of dried flowers, red cherry and crushed raspberry lifted by clove, black pepper and earthy spice; the palate shows fresh red fruit with tobacco, white pepper and a touch of olive brine, medium-bodied with silky tannins.

Gala Rosé

A rosé of real depth, made from an equal blend of old-vine Gamay grown along the Sea of Marmara and old-vine Papazkarası from the sandy soils of inland Northern Thrace. The Gamay is hand-harvested and directly pressed; the Papazkarası gets 24 hours of skin contact before the two are slowly co-fermented under controlled temperatures. Ripe raspberry and sour cherry are complemented by delicate cotton candy and dried rose petal, with a subtle caramel note behind; the palate is fresh yet generously textured — vibrant and satisfyingly rich. A versatile match for Mediterranean starters, grilled seafood, herb-marinated chicken and summer salads.

Gala White

An unusual white made from Papazkarası — the indigenous black grape of Thrace — using the Blanc de Noir technique. Early-harvested whole bunches from 50-year-old vines are gently pressed and slowly fermented cold in stainless steel with minimal intervention, then lightly filtered. Pale yellow and crystal-clear, it opens with the vibrant freshness of green apple, subtle cracked almond and mouth-watering green plum, all underpinned by a fine thread of steely minerality. Crisp acidity carries the flavours with precision and length to a pure, invigorating finish.

Arda Gamay

Gamay from 50-year-old vineyards along the Marmara coast, hand-harvested, destemmed and given a week of cold maceration for gentle extraction, then slow-fermented in temperature-controlled steel and aged six months in French oak — the oak adding subtle structure without overpowering the fruit. The nose shows vibrant forest fruits with floral and earthy nuances; the palate has lively acidity and noticeable tannins, fresh expressive fruit, and a long, harmonious finish with savoury, earthy undertones.

Arda Reserve Narince

Arda's signature wine — a limited Narince of just 1,500 bottles, made from handpicked, carefully selected fruit. Fermentation is split, half in French oak for texture and depth, half in temperature-controlled steel to preserve freshness and purity. Bright light yellow, it opens with pear, quince and white flowers, followed by pineapple and subtle sweet spice; the palate balances fresh apple and citrus against gentle tropical tones and a creamy texture, enriched by vanilla and sun-dried apricot, with generous volume, lively acidity and a smooth finish.