The Guardians of the Vertical Harvest: Preserving Bodrum’s Ancestral Pine-Vines

In the fast-paced world of modern viticulture, where efficiency often dictates the method, a quiet but powerful revolution is taking place in the rugged hills of the Bodrum Peninsula. At Anatolian Wine Routes, we are dedicated to showcasing not just the finest wines, but the most profound stories of our soil. Today, that story belongs to the revival of the "Tree-Climbing" vines.

A Tradition Lost to Time

For centuries, the viticulture of Halicarnassus followed a poetic, vertical logic. Ancestral varieties like Aküzüm, Kanlıkara, and Kızılüzüm were not pruned into low, industrial rows. Instead, they were encouraged to embrace the trunks of ancient pine trees, winding their way up toward the Aegean sun. This "Forest Viticulture" created a unique micro-ecosystem where the grapes absorbed the subtle resinous scents of the pine and the salt-heavy breezes of the high canopy.

However, by the mid-20th century, this labor-intensive craft had nearly vanished, replaced by standard trellising and modern farming. The nimble hands required to harvest from the treetops became a memory of the past.

The Neferiye Mission: Reclaiming a Stolen Identity

The resurrection of this vertical heritage is led by Neferiye, the only producer in the region currently practicing this ancient method as a dedicated preservation project.

Neferiye’s work is not just about making wine; it is an act of experimental archaeology in the vineyard. By allowing these ancestral vines to once again scale the pine trees, they are:

* Reviving Genetic Heritage: Protecting the lineages of Aküzüm and Kanlıkara that were nearly extinct.

* Natural Symbiosis: Utilizing the pine trees as natural supports, eliminating the need for industrial materials and allowing the vine to follow its primal climbing instinct.

* Unique Terroir Expression: Producing a flavor profile that is impossible to replicate in a standard vineyard—a wine that carries the "vertical soul" of the forest.

Experience the Rarity

This is perhaps the most exclusive experience we offer at Anatolian Wine Routes. Witnessing these "sky-high" vineyards requires a deep respect for the terrain and the patience to understand a harvest that happens in the clouds.

As a guest of our Heritage Preservation Route, you will have the rare opportunity to see this symbiotic relationship firsthand and taste the limited-production elixirs born from these pine-climbing giants. It is a journey for those who seek the authentic, the rare, and the ancient.