Nif Vineyards

Nif Vineyards takes its name from the medieval name of the region, Nymphaion, meaning “water and forest nymph.” Despite the story of the vineyards seeming to begin in the 2000s, it dates back to the great-grandfathers of the Özcan family, who settled in İzmir’s Nif Region from Bosnia in the 1890s, and the family have been practising viticulture and winemaking for four generations. The new generation representatives of this well-established family conceived the idea of establishing a wine grape vineyard in 1998. The son Erhan and the father Hamit Özcan, who are in active management today, oversee the vineyards established under the leadership of Hamit Özcan and the winery developed with the contribution of the agricultural engineer sister Gaye Özcan, who also studied oenology in the US.

Beyond their agricultural background, the Özcan Family has been steering the world glass industry since 1970 with their prestigious brand BCE Glass. With a vision for the most original examples of the glass industry, they have built marvellous glass details in the interiors of the winery they designed with the architect Erbil Coşkuner. The most notable example is the highest 100% glass staircase in Türkiye. The vast glass façade overlooking the Nif Valley and mountains also offers a spectacular view to the guests.

A true château style of production is achieved with 350 acres of vineyards, 60 acres of olive groves and the winery, all within walking distance, and the use of gravity in the architectural design to ensure the best possible processing of the grapes. This exceptional terroir at 500-600 metres altitude in the Aegean, shaped by the cooling breezes coming from the Bozdağlar, the Nif crew experimented with almost all local varieties, finally focusing on the South Italian grapes that achieved the best aromatic profile.