Çağlar Bozçağa is a chef, restaurateur, and the visionary behind Neferiye Wines, located in Bodrum, Turkey. As a second-generation representative of the Michelin Green Star-awarded Orfoz Restaurant , Çağlar has dedicated his career to sustainable gastronomy and the “sea-to-table” philosophy. His winemaking project, Neferiye, focuses on rescuing and preserving ancient, ungrafted, and agroforestry vines. By reviving indigenous varieties like Panık, Kanlıkara, and Ak Üzüm, he is working to ensure that the viticultural heritage of the Halicarnassus peninsula is preserved for future generations, including his son Sarp, the third generation of the family legacy.
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What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
Neferiye’s most unique feature is our mission: “Guardians of the Ancestral Vineyards.” Our project is inextricably linked to our family’s 40-year culinary heritage at Orfoz Restaurant, which holds a Michelin Green Star in sustainability.
My fundamental belief is that the best accompaniment to a tasting menu prepared with local ingredients is a natural wine made from grapes that have witnessed the history of the region. Neferiye is about active conservation. We focus on native, ungrafted varieties such as Panık, Kanlıkara, and Ak Üzüm, each vine having lived through the history of the region for over a century. We don’t just make wine; we bottle a liquid archive. By integrating these ancient grapes into our gastronomic experience, we ensure that the biodiversity of our region remains a vibrant and breathing part of the Aegean and Mediterranean table, creating a perfect, sustainable cycle from soil and sea to glass.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
I would create a comprehensive Anatolian Ancient Vine Map and physically re-establish these lost varieties within the sacred grounds of Turkey’s ancient cities, bringing them back to the soils where they were celebrated thousands of years ago.
My dream is to scale the Agroforestry technique—growing vines in their most natural and symbiotic state. This isn’t just about vines growing in the shade of trees; it is about the “married vine” (vite maritata) concept, where the vine and the tree grow together in a physical and biological marriage, just as they did in antiquity. I would create a protected corridor across the peninsula where these “married vines” are treated as living monuments. My ultimate goal is to pass this revived ecosystem to my son, Sarp. I want him to lead a movement where the wisdom of the past and the sustainability of the future are perfectly aligned through this natural marriage of species.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Neferiye Panık is the soul of our brand. For years, the forgotten Panık grape only existed as shade-providing vines in local gardens. I specifically revived this variety to be the perfect accompaniment to the sea urchins I personally dive and collect from Bodrum’s pristine waters.
Our approach to Panık reflects our commitment to circular, zero-waste gastronomy. This isn’t just about the wine; we use every part of the harvest—we produce Panık vinegar, Panık Mostocotto, and even handcraft salt from its sediment (lees). While it is a cornerstone of our cuisine at Orfoz, I aim for Panık to find its place in the broader spectrum of Anatolian gastronomy. Produced with minimal intervention and natural yeasts, this rosé wine captures the raw essence of Bodrum: high acidity, a distinctly salty finish, and a structural depth that can only come from ancient, un-grafted roots. This is the liquid definition of our belief that ancient vines are the most honest witnesses to our local soil.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
I chose winemaking to turn an ephemeral culinary legacy into a permanent one. At Orfoz, we pride ourselves on sustainability and the Michelin Green Star, but a dish exists only for a moment. A vine, however, lives for centuries. I make wine to ensure that the story of our land, our ancient grapes, and our family traditions can be tasted by generations yet to come. It is my way of securing the future by honoring the roots.