ROOT ORIGIN SOIL - II

Anatolian Heritage Grapes
With its first session held in June of 2019, the Root Origin Soil symposium aimed to go after the local grape and then wine. It was driven by the idea that it is about time, and this is our heritage, therefore, coming together to as a collective we can work on it. We come together from the idea that having an event involving wine doesn’t always have to come from a competition or a tasting but listening to one another and getting to know one another and opening ourselves to the idea that what opportunities this could open up. And that is exactly what happened. After a two-year-long lockdown, we came back into our lives with old knowledge, rewritten at times with a new accessory we do not dare separate from ourselves.


Transferring experiences to future generations

If you live in a country where there are unlimited natural resources and the country's economy uses these resources correctly and can gain a positive power, you can consider yourself very lucky. Existing in unique geography like Turkey with different climates means having one of the main elements of herbal diversity naturally. Isn't this diversity an invaluable natural resource? When we look at historical sources, we see that this diversity starts from very ancient times. Being in the lands where many agricultural products and plants were born must be the real heritage that belongs to all of us!

It is necessary for us to emphasize the importance of the grape and viticulture in Anatolia, which continues to exist in richness despite all the ignorance. The continuation of the processing of grapes that are about to disappear, by local people and large and small wine companies, should be the sole issue that we will not stop talking about, both in terms of a sustainable future and in terms of distinguishing Turkey from others in this large and global industry. At the Root Origin Soil conference, which we will hold for the second time on June 19 this year, we will continue to talk about the past and future of local grape varieties with the participation of many valuable academics, wine professionals, and producers. It should be our common goal to protect local grapes with thousands of years of history and value, without being a prisoner of mediocrity and monotony.

Believing that good things will come keeps us going. Let's all act together to protect this valuable culture with good intentions and let it take root, allowing us to pass on the experience and knowledge to future generations without being erased from ourselves as its heirs.

Sabiha Apaydın Gönenli
Symposium

ANATOLIAN HERITAGE GRAPES - II

Sunday, June 19, 2022