As a result of the application process highlighting their dedication to Turkey’s wineries and indigenous grape varieties, Wayana Wine Bar in Istanbul has been included in the Iter Vitis Route.
Wayana takes its name from the Hittite word for wine, highlighting the deep-rooted traditions of winemaking in Anatolia and Thrace. Among the first geographies to produce wine, historically, winemaking flourished in modern-day Turkey’s territory where wine represented significant cultural importance to communities and civilizations. Wayana is dedicated to preserving this heritage and supporting its future. Within the complexity of winemaking industry with its numerous stakeholders, Wayana positions itself as a focal intermediary between the producers and consumers of Turkey’s wines.
Wayana offers approximately 500 labels of more than 140 local wineries and aims for the complete representation of Turkey’s wines. Wayana is also devoted to Turkey’s indigenous grape varieties used in winemaking—which sits just below 80 varieties—including not only easily recognizable ones like Öküzgözü and Boğazkere but also experimental varieties like Aşıkara or İt Üzümü. This way, Wayana offers an unmatched breadth of local wine portfolio—all of which are available by glass—from novice to advanced enthusiasts of Turkey’s wine scenery. This versatility supports winemakers of varied sizes in all parts of Turkey, as well as different winemaking techniques—both traditional and modern.
Wayana also acts as a communication channel between Turkey’s wine scenery and its enthusiasts with through cultural activities and supports initiatives to raise awareness about indigenous grape varieties and their identity-forming functions for communities, as well as their indispensable role in diversifying wines of Turkey. Recognizing the importance of further research on indigenous varieties in this development path, Wayana also supports their continued study and documentation through viticulture and ampelography—which will evidently contribute to our understanding of the scale and scope of winemaking potential in Turkey and to landscape management and sustainable agricultural practices as well as tourism initiatives.
Wayana’s inclusion in Iter Vitis Route is expected to increase the international visibility and reach of Turkey’s winemaking culture. Wayana’s firm position as a cluster point for wineries and wine enthusiasts is supported by Istanbul’s role as not only a major destination itself but also a gateway to other destinations in Turkey. Wayana provides an in-depth introduction to wine culture of Turkey and thereby supports, directly and indirectly, to its diversification and future development.
