Francs de Pied Meetings 2026: Cappadocia, Turkey
Events
The Francs de Pied Meetings 2026 took place from April 29th to May 2nd in Cappadocia, Turkey, organized in partnership with Gelveri Winery, Kavaklıdere Wines and the KÜBDER Association - Cappadocian Vines on their Own Rootstock. Gathered around a shared mission, members of the Association explored one of the oldest cradles of viticulture in the world, where ungrafted vines still thrive, sovereign, on the volcanic soils of Mount Hasan Dağ.
Participants were welcomed in the authentic village of Güzelyurt, before heading to the slopes of the volcano for a full day of hiking through the ancient vineyards of Yuva and Karkın - plots of old ungrafted vines, bush-trained at over 1,200 metres in altitude, rooted in ash and basalt soils. These vines, silent witnesses to millennia of winemaking history, sparked deep emotion and lively exchanges among winegrowers gathered from across Europe.
The meetings also included visits to Kavaklıdere's vineyards in Sofular and Yeşilyurt, as well as the discovery of Cappadocia's most iconic landscapes, the Pigeon Valley, the fairy chimneys of Paşabağlar and the rock-hewn churches of the Göreme Open Air Museum. Evenings brought together participants and their Cappadocian hosts around dinners of Turkish specialties and tastings of local ungrafted wines alongside bottles brought by winemaker members.
