Located on the beautiful peninsula of Gallipoli, Suvla Wines are one of Turkey's most interesting family owned producers. Their wines are both modern and elegant, and worthy of their place amongst the best wines in the eastern Mediterranean. I first came across Suvla while judging in Bulgaria. Their long time wine maker Dimitri Dimov introduced me to the wines he'd enjoyed making over the years. One in particular always caught my attention. Produced from the local red grape variety Karasakikiz, it was light and delicate, but brimming with notes of fresh red cherry. In the mouth it was grainy and rustic, but more than enjoyable. Dimitri is himself Bulgarian but makes the drive across the border into Turkey to oversee the wines. During the Vinarija 2017 gala dinner in Plovdiv he noted my quiet dislike of the house juice and secretly slipped the latest vintage into my hand. Suvla is a project built around quality. In the vineyard the search for sustainable practices that will lead to improved wines is an ongoing task. Green harvesting takes place during the summer and the harvest is done by hand, always by a team familiar with the process. Today there are 60 hectares of organic vineyards planted with predominantly local varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache Noir, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, but there are also two important local grapes - Kınalı Yapıncak and Karasakız, local to this part of eastern Turkey.