Viticulture from Tenedos to Bozcaada
July 2022 – June 2023
Bozcaada / ÇANAKKALE
Featured in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for its wine and vineyards, Bozcaada or Tenedos is a region with 4000 years of viticulture history. With their unique cultivation techniques, terroir and grape varieties, growing grapes has always been a major source of livelihood for the islanders. Greek and Turkish growers on the 37 km2 island, most of which is covered with vineyards, used to sell their traditionally grown produce both in the domestic and international market, creating a considerably robust economy.
However, especially with the pressure of tourism since the beginning of the 2000s, winemaking in Bozcaada is on the decline. Land is being used to build accommodation options for tourists and the existing vineyards are in poor condition due to a lack of attention. In addition to these obstacles, some vintners are replacing traditional methods of growing with high-wire cordon trellising. These new generation growers experimenting with new methods and looking for ways to increase vineyard areas may succeed in reviving the art of winemaking that is undeniably a part of the island’s genetic code.
The Viticulture from Tenedos to Bozcaada project aimed to record the viticulture adventures of young and older vinegrowers in Bozcaada, those who were born and raised on the island, those who were vinegrowers from their ancestors, and those who settled on the island later and became interested in viticulture, as a documentary film. The film conveys the adventure of the grape sapling from its union with the soil to its cultivation, from pruning to hoeing, from its fight against diseases to its harvest, from the grape species brought to the island from abroad to the rediscovery of local species thought to be lost/extinct, through the stories of the vinegrowers themselves. Thus, the historical process of viticulture, which was once one of the largest and most important sources of income in the region, is recounted through the testimonies of 30 vinegrowers.
Within the scope of the project, the Bozcaada Viticulture Workshop held in Bozcaada on 9 September 2023 was held in two sessions. In addition to vine growers, business people and tourism professionals, Bozcaada Mayor Hakan Can Yılmaz, Bozcaada Agricultural Development Cooperative President Mehmet Külekçi, Bozcaada District Agriculture Deputy Director Ali Kayadan, Bozcaada Tourism Business People Association President Erkan Yavuz, CultureCIVIC Communications Coordinator Üstüngel İnanç also attended the workshop. The first session moderated by journalist Ferai Tınç included ÇOMÜ Faculty of Agriculture faculty member Harun Çoban, ÇOMÜ Vocational School Cooperative Program Lecturer Muradiye Özel Ödül and island vine grower Necati İnceoğlu. The second session moderated by young island vine grower Günay Yurdakul featured author and wine expert Göknur Gündoğan, author and sommelier Murat Yankı, and Çanakkale Gastronomy Association President Kubilay Özben sharing their views.
The documentary “Vineyard”, which emerged as part of the project, had the following screenings:
• October 8, 2023, Gala, Bozcaada
• September 2, 2024, Bozcaada Culture, Art and Grape Harvest Festival
• October 9, 2024, Bozcaada International Ecological Documentary Festival
• November 14, 2024, METU
The www.bozcaadabagciligi.com website was launched as part of the project.
