Arcadia Vineyard was established in 2005 by Özcan Arca and Zeynep Arca Şallıel. It was originally
designed as a premium winemaker and interdisciplinary project offering a unique gastronomic
tourism and alternative lifestyle experience. It combines agriculture-based production and
gastronomy with tourism, working with a circular system that incorporates diverse products, in
harmony with its goal of sustainability. Arcadia Vineyard is a true village, featuring farms that
welcome guests who wish to be at one with nature.

The ancient name of Kırklareli province was Lozengrad, meaning “The City of Grapes”. Throughout
history, it was famous for its vineyards and wines. The earliest findings about the vineyards and
winemaking activities in this region date back to the Odrysian Kingdom, an ancient Thracian state
that ruled the area between the 5th and 3rd centuries B.C. This ancient tradition continued until the
end of the 19th century, but the vineyard’s production faded away due to poverty and the
emigration caused by the Balkan War and World War I. The region’s winemaking business almost
ended entirely when a Tekel Factory was established in the province of Tekirdağ after the
proclamation of the Republic.

An ancient path was once used to bring wine to Kıyıköy through the lesser-known ancient villages
of the province of Kırklareli. Throughout history, the wines produced in these villages were placed
in large jars and drums and carried all the way to Kıyıköy on ox carts, and then loaded onto ships
headed to Venice and Marseilles. This route was known as the “Wine Road” on ancient maps, and
was used to transport wines to ports from Skopje to İğneada and then to Kıyıköy. This ancient
Wine Road runs behind Çeşmekolu Village, which is located right across from Arcadia Vineyard.
Today, the geography that hosts Arcadia Vineyard is known as ‘Düzlük Sırtı’, but was called ‘Bağlık
Yakası’ on old maps.

Arcadia Vineyard’s site was chosen using scientific methods with the aim of producing premium
quality wine. However, it also aimed to revive the rich viticultural history of the region: as the first
winemaker to be established in the province of Kırklareli following the foundation of the Turkish
Republic, Arcadia has been a pioneer in awakening this ancient terroir from its 100-year sleep.