Sabiha Apaydın Gönenli has emerged as one of the foremost players in the Turkish gastronomy industry and has made significant contributions to the development of leading brands. Her extensive experience and knowledge are now used in her role as a management consultant in the food and beverage industry. A dedicated advocate of the global and Turkish natural wine movement, Sabiha is committed to promoting local grape varieties, old vineyards, and broader wine culture. An example of this determination is her involvement in many projects to promote Anatolian grapes and wines at home and abroad.

She founded the ‘Root Origin Soil’ conference, which is an important event in terms of viticulture and enology, especially for Anatolian varieties. As a certified WSET instructor, she also teaches ‘Wine and Business Management’ courses at the Istanbul Culinary Arts Academy, combining her academic knowledge with industry practices.

Additionally, her key involvement in the Heritage Vines of Türkiye initiative and member of the Slow Wine Coalition and Old Vine Conference underlines preserving and promoting viticultural heritage.

Her contributions aim to give the cultural and historical richness of Anatolian viticulture the value it deserves.

For the long version please click:

https://www.jancisrobinson.com/jancis-robinson-the-long-version

Jancis was voted the world’s most influential wine critic in various polls in the US, France and internationally in 2018 – although she describes herself as a wine writer rather than a wine critic. She founded JancisRobinson.com in 2000, selling the award-winning, subscription-only wine website to US digital publisher Recurrent Ventures in 2021. She is now editor in chief and main contributor. She has been wine correspondent for the Financial Times since 1990 and writes for this global publication and ft.com every Saturday.

She is founder-editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine (nearly five million copies sold) and co-author of Wine Grapes, each of these books recognised as a standard reference worldwide. The 24-Hour Wine Expert (2017) is a slim paperback guide to the practical essentials of wine.

In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she advised from 2004 until 2022. She continues to be a member of the Royal Household Wine Committee.

In one week in April 2016 she was presented with France’s Officier du Mérite Agricole, the German VDP’s highest honour and, in the US, her fourth James Beard Award. She now has six, including being the only wine writer elevated to the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. In 2018 she launched her own hand-made, dishwasher-friendly, ideal wine glass and in 2021 became a trustee of the Gérard Basset Foundation designed to increase diversity and inclusion in the worlds of wine, spirits and hospitality though education.

She loves and lives for wine in all its glorious diversity, generally favouring balance and subtlety over sheer mass, having campaigned for associated sustainability issues since 2006.

Mr. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, born in Athens, Greece 1959, studied Agronomy at the University of Thessalonica, Greece.
He did his post-graduate studies in oenology at the University of Bordeaux, France, from where he graduated in 1988 with the title of Doctorate (PhD) in Viticulture & Oenology.

Dr. Paraskevopoulos, since 1994, teaches at the Department of Wine, Vine and Beverages Sciences of the University of West Attica, where he holds a position of Professor in Oenology and from 2016 until 2020, Dr. Paraskevopoulos was the head of the department. Alongside to his teaching duties, Dr. Paraskevopoulos has participated in a number of research programs always related to wine production.

In 2011, together with Mrs Majda Anderson, founded “SANTORINI BREWING COMPANY S.A.”, which currently owns one craft micro-brewery in Santorini.

In 1994, together with Mr. Leon Karatsalo, founded “GAIA wines S.A.”, which currently owns two wineries (in Santorini & Nemea) and 20 hectares of vineyards.

From 1989 until 1994 he worked at the “Y. Boutari & Son wine company” as winemaker at their wineries in Santorini and Nemea.

I was born in 1954 in Antalya. I am the third-generation descendant of two families from Antalya; one was a gardener and the other was Yörük. I received my primary, secondary, and high school education in Antalya. I completed my higher education at Gazi Education Institute in Ankara, qualifying as an English teacher. I got married in 1975 and settled in Kuşadası. Until 1980, I taught English at Kuşadası Kaya Aldoğan High School. I have made my living from tourism and hospitality. My friendship with the land, which started with the desire to live and produce with my own family, and my life as a farmer have brought me to this day. In 1995, I established my farm business and set up the Değirmen restaurant operations, creating the Yerlim brand. I have been living on a farm overlooking the national park in Kuşadası for 48 years and in Davutlar for 26 years. Since 2000, I have been practicing uninterrupted certified organic agriculture, trying to maintain a sustainable and poison-free agricultural model based on local diversity that sustains itself. I manage a farm business that has a diverse production, mainly focusing on vegetable farming, fruit growing, olive growing, and viticulture, along with the production of Yerlim branded products and the Değirmen restaurant, which is an example of day tourism in the countryside. Olive oil production, greenhouse farming, livestock breeding, and a museum are the other units of the business. I love my work and respect the friendship between soil, animals, plants, and people.

Associate Professor Dr. Hande Tahmaz Karaman began her academic career in 2007 at the Department of Horticulture at Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, specializing in viticulture and vinification techniques, and she continues in the same department. Her research focuses on regulating the quality of grapes and wine, while also studying the modification and effects of phenolic compounds that have positive impacts on human health. She has published numerous national and international papers in this field. Besides her academic career, she cultivates Syrah, Zinfandel, and Riesling varieties and is engaged in partnerships with the private sector. She owns the Instagram account “Dr.Şarap,” where she aims to connect the academic world with wine enthusiasts through her own illustrations.

He is a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) trained architect and a wine enthusiast who has been holding themed tastings every month for 18 years with his tasting group in Ankara. He publishes nearly 4,000 tasting notes, mostly on Turkish wines, on the Cellar Tracker portal.

He contributed to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson’s The World Atlas of Wine in its 7th and 8th editions, Wine Grapes written by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz, and the 4th edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine on Turkey. Many of his articles have been published on Jancisrobinson.com.

In 2015, he was honored with the Geoffrey Roberts Award under the auspices of The Vintners’ Company for supporting emerging wine regions. This project’s aim is to reveal Turkey’s disappearing vineyards, grape species, and regions. He supports the Yaban Kolektif initiative which he co-founded with Levon Bagis.

He has been working as a jury member at the International Wine Challenge (IWC), one of the most prestigious wine competitions in the world, since 2015. He represents Turkey on behalf of the Old Vine Conference, which was initiated under the leadership of Sarah Abbott MW and whose aim is to draw attention to old grapevines and vines. He is also a member of Slow Food and Slow Wine Coalition.

Mir Mehmet Fırat Doğan is a leader and scholar born in Büyükada, Istanbul. As the son of an artist mother and a professor father, he grew up immersed in cultural diversity and academic curiosity. Assuming leadership of the Ezidi and Haltanlı communities, he operates at the nexus of global societal development, science, and business.

After many years abroad in academia and professional endeavors, he returned to Turkey to address the challenges facing the Ezidi and Haltanlı communities and to foster their unity. As a descendant of the long-standing Haltanlı lineage, which has historically served as leaders in the Ezidi and Kurdish communities, he continues to uphold the mantle of leadership (Mir). Throughout this journey, he has been a staunch advocate for the representation and rights of Ezidi and Haltanlı constituents, contributing to their economic, cultural, and educational advancement.

Dr. Mir Mehmet Fırat Doğan, also a doctoral-level scientist, is a globally recognized speaker and academic figure, making significant contributions to the scientific community. Holding a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in political science, his expertise spans interdisciplinary realms.

Moreover, Dr. Doğan is a notable figure in the business world, driving large-scale projects and generating employment opportunities through his ownership and founding of group companies operating across various countries.

As a member of the esteemed Xalti Family, renowned for its contributions to viticulture, Dr. Doğan leads the development of the Xalta Ancient City and Xalta Wines Winery, revitalizing the family’s legacy in winemaking.

Hakan Hece was born in 1975 as the son of a family that has been involved in viticulture for three generations in Yayaköy, a district of Şarköy in Tekirdağ. Starting to work in the family vineyards at a young age, he supported the workforce and has taken over the viticulture tradition passed down from generation to generation. A graduate of Trakya University in Agricultural Technician, Hakan Hece began his career in the wine industry at Doluca in 2003. He currently works as a Senior Vineyard and Agricultural Procurement Specialist at Mey Diageo, responsible for purchasing wine grapes from Kayra Şarköy vineyards and the Thrace Region. He has also completed training at Plumpton College in Viticulture and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 2.

–

After completing his undergraduate education in the Food Engineering department at Çukurova University, Koray Özcan pursued a master’s degree in the same field at Çukurova University’s Institute of Science. He authored his master’s thesis titled “Effect of Region on the Essential Oil and Aroma Composition of Anise Seed.” He is continuing his doctoral studies and research in the field of rakı at the same department. He is one of the authors of the scientific study that established the world’s first ‘rakı sensory wheel,’ titled “Sensory Lexicon and Major Volatiles of Rakı Using Descriptive Analysis and GC-FID/MS.” He also holds a “Diploma in Distilling” from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

Koray Özcan began his career as an intern at Mey Alcoholic Beverages Ind. Inc. during his university years, and has been working at the company for approximately 14 years. He has held various positions in the production, quality, efficiency, and R&D processes of distilled alcoholic beverages, and currently serves as the Senior Technical and Innovation Manager. He conducts various research, development, and innovation studies aimed at passing rakı onto future generations.

Murat Üner completed his undergraduate degree in Food Engineering at Ankara University, followed by a master’s degree in Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverage Technology at the Ankara University Institute of Science. His published research includes work on “Seminar on Wine Filtration Techniques” and a thesis on “Production of Quality Wine from Öküzgözü and Boğazkere Grapes of the Elazığ Region.”

In 1996, during the second year of his master’s program, he began working at Kavaklıdere Wines. After serving in various production roles, he spent the last three years as the Production Manager. In 2005, after nine years of experience, he joined Mey Alcoholic Beverages to participate in the establishment of Kayra Wines, focusing on technical investments, team building, and new product development projects. He currently holds the position of Wine Production Director at Mey-Diageo Kayra Wines.

Murat Üner has also completed several specialized training programs including California Vinquiry Labs Sensory Training, Plumton College Viticulture, and Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 3. Additionally, he holds a Trainer certificate and has participated in Product and Brand Management training at Sabancı University EDU. He is an authorized trainer by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).