IN BREVE
- Kolorko, a rare Turkish grape variety, has the same genetic profile as Hungarian Furmint, as announced by José Vouillamoz at Wine Paris 2026.
- Genetic analysis suggests that Kolorko and Furmint may be the same variety under different names, opening up new historical perspectives.
- Paşaeli Wines, founded by Seyit Karagözoğlu, is committed to the recovery and promotion of native Turkish varieties.
- The discovery of the relationship between Kolorko and Furmint could have historical and commercial implications, linking a local grape variety to an internationally renowned one.
- Genetic research provides an objective basis for future historical and ampelographic investigations into Eurasian viticulture.
The rare Turkish grape variety Kolorko has the same genetic profile as Hungarian Furmint. The discovery was announced at Wine Paris 2026 by José Vouillamoz, one of the world’s leading grapevine geneticists, together with Seyit Karagözoğlu, founder of Paşaeli Wines, a winery active in western Turkey. DNA analysis revealed a genetic match between Kolorko and Furmint, Hungary’s flagship variety and the base of the great botrytized Tokaji wines. This result opens up new scenarios regarding the historical spread of grape varieties in the region between Anatolia and the Carpathian Basin.
FURMINT AND KOLORKO: THE DISCOVERY ANNOUNCED AT WINE PARIS
The announcement came during Wine Paris, an international event bringing together producers, researchers, and industry professionals. José Vouillamoz, known for his studies on grapevine DNA and co-author of pivotal research on the parentage of European varieties, presented the results of the genetic analysis conducted on Kolorko.
Alongside him was Seyit Karagözoğlu, entrepreneur and founder of Paşaeli Wines, a company based in western Turkey, near the city of İzmir. For years, the winery has been dedicated to the recovery and promotion of native Turkish varieties that are little known or considered minor.
According to the announcement, Kolorko’s genetic profile is identical to that of Furmint. This would not be a simple parentage or a cross, but the same variety under a different name.
KOLORKO AND FURMINT: A SHARED GENETIC IDENTITY
Furmint is one of the most important grape varieties in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the historical base of Tokaji wines in Hungary and is also grown in Slovakia, Austria, and Slovenia. It is distinguished by its high acidity, structure, and ability to precisely express the terroir, both in dry versions—which are increasingly popular—and in sweet botrytized ones.
Kolorko, on the other hand, is a rare grape variety grown in Turkey, whose presence was previously limited to small areas. The genetic coincidence with Furmint suggests that the variety may have traveled over the centuries along trade and cultural routes connecting Anatolia, the Balkans, and Central Europe.
Genetic research applied to viticulture has already shown how many varieties considered native to a specific country actually share origins or close parentage with grapes from other areas. The Kolorko-Furmint case fits into this line of study, reinforcing the idea of a historically interconnected viticulture.
THE ROLE OF PAŞAELI WINES AND THE PROMOTION OF TURKISH GRAPE VARIETIES
Paşaeli Wines was founded by Seyit Karagözoğlu with the goal of exploring and promoting Turkey’s ampelographic heritage. It is no coincidence that Turkey is one of the territories with the greatest viticultural biodiversity in the world, yet a significant portion of its varieties remains understudied or confined to local production.
The work on Kolorko is part of a journey of recovery and study of rare grape varieties. The genetic analysis entrusted to José Vouillamoz has clarified the variety’s identity, providing a solid scientific basis for potential production and communication developments.
For the Turkish sector, the discovery represents a significant milestone. Linking a local grape variety to an internationally renowned variety like Furmint can have both historical and commercial implications, although further agronomic and oenological research is required.
HISTORICAL IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR FURMINT BETWEEN ANATOLIA AND THE CARPATHIAN BASIN
The genetic identity between Kolorko and Furmint reopens the debate on the origins and spread of varieties in the Eurasian area. Anatolia is considered one of the historical centers of grapevine domestication. From here, over millennia, cultivation spread west and north.
The presence of the same grape variety under different names in Turkey and Hungary could be the result of migrations, trade exchanges, or political influences that shaped the region’s history. DNA analysis alone does not provide a precise chronology, but it offers an objective basis for further historical and ampelographic research.
From a production standpoint, it remains to be understood how Kolorko is vinified in Turkey compared to the traditional styles of Hungarian Furmint. Differences in climate, soils, and winemaking techniques can generate very different sensory expressions from the same genetic base.
THE HISTORICAL TIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND HUNGARY
Relations between Turkey and Hungary are rooted in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, with a long phase of Ottoman presence in Hungarian territory between the 16th and 17th centuries. During that time, trade, population movements, and cultural contacts affected large areas of Central and Eastern Europe.
Even after the end of Ottoman rule, the ties between the two areas were not severed. Merchant routes, diplomatic relations, and cultural interactions continued to connect Anatolia and the Carpathian Basin. In this historical context, the circulation of plant material, including grapevine varieties, cannot be ruled out.
The discovery of the genetic identity between Kolorko and Furmint should therefore be understood within a broader framework, where political and agricultural history intertwine. Today, genetics confirms connections that may have deep roots spanning centuries.
