How an Ancient Turkish Grape Saved French Wine

In 1870, phylloxera was destroying France's vineyards. A 1,500-year-old Turkish grape from Edirne helped fill the gap. Nobody remembers.

In the 1870s, phylloxera was destroying French vineyards at catastrophic scale. The wine that filled the gap came from Edirne — from a 1,500-year-old Turkish grape nobody in France remembers.

Category: education · 6 min read · Published 2026-06-28 · Altevin Blog

• Phylloxera destroyed approximately two-thirds of French vineyards between 1863 and the 1880s
• Papazkarası from Edirne is naturally phylloxera-resistant — and filled part of France's export gap
• The variety is 1,500 years old and still grown on ungrafted own-rooted goblet vines at Arda Wines
• Arda Wines' old vines are registered with the Old Vine Conference in Oxford
• The Gala Red 2022 (wild yeast, 40-day maceration, unfiltered) won Rodeo Uncorked! 2025 Class Champion
• This is not just a great wine — it is a glass of history the wine world forgot to celebrate

The phylloxera crisis

Phylloxera — a tiny vine-eating louse, accidentally imported from North America — first appeared in France in 1863. Within two decades, it had destroyed approximately two-thirds of French vineyards and spread across most of Europe's wine-producing regions. The loss was catastrophic: billions of vines, generations of agricultural heritage, destroyed at a speed that winemakers had never experienced and could not stop.

During the transition to American rootstocks, which took decades to implement, European wine demand did not pause. Something had to fill the gap.

Edirne's moment in history

The Edirne province of Eastern Thrace was one of the sources. Papazkarası, naturally resistant to phylloxera, continued to be produced at volume while French production collapsed. Significant quantities were exported to France to replace lost domestic production.

The French wine world, rebuilding on American rootstocks, never needed Papazkarası again. The variety that helped sustain French wine culture during its worst crisis was quietly left behind. Today, outside of specialist importers and producers like Arda Wines, it is largely unknown.

The Saç family's revival

The Saç family at Arda Wines has spent two decades ensuring Papazkarası is not forgotten again. Their 50+ year old ungrafted goblet vines — own-rooted, growing exactly as Papazkarası grew during the phylloxera crisis — are registered with the Old Vine Conference. The Gala Red 2022, made with wild yeast, 40-day maceration, no filtration, won Rodeo Uncorked! 2025 Class Champion.

This is not just a great wine. It is a glass of living history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Papazkarası phylloxera resistant?

Papazkarası developed natural phylloxera resistance because it evolved in a region where the louse was already present. Unlike European varieties (which had no evolutionary exposure to phylloxera before the 19th century), Papazkarası developed vine characteristics that allow it to survive root infestation.

Are Arda Wines' Papazkarası vines really ungrafted?

Yes — 50+ year old own-rooted goblet vines growing in Edirne, registered with the Old Vine Conference. Because Papazkarası is phylloxera-resistant, it does not need to be grafted onto American rootstock.

What does Papazkarası wine taste like?

Deep ruby, fruit-forward (dark cherry, plum), earthy with medium tannins and good acidity. The Arda Gala Red 2022 (wild yeast, 40-day maceration, unfiltered) is the most expressive example — dense, complex, and genuinely age-worthy.