Turning Passion into Purpose

Yasemin Baran is a wine communicator, oenologist, and founder of @bulgariabyglass, a platform and consulting studio focused on uncovering the hidden gems of Southeastern Europe’s wine world.

Her journey began in Urla, on Turkey’s first gastronomic wine route, where she worked as a winemaker after completing her Food Engineering degree. She earned her MSc in Oenology & Viticulture through studies at Hochschule Geisenheim University and Montpellier SupAgro, working from Château Couhins and Château La Tour Carnet in Bordeaux to Domaine Bobinet in the Loire Valley and the wineries of Germany to Marlborough, New Zealand.

Alongside harvest and cellar work, Yasemin contributed to published research papers, managed international wine selections, and advised wineries across Europe.

What really drove her was frustration with how little visibility countries like Turkey and Bulgaria had, despite their ancient winemaking traditions, rare native grapes, and passionate producers. So she launched @bulgariabyglass to spotlight underappreciated wine regions.

Since then, she’s hosted tastings across Europe, represented both countries at international fairs, and built a growing community around lesser-known wine regions.

For Yasemin, this goes beyond wine. It’s about cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and storytelling. Her mission is to amplify the voices of winemakers who have vision, courage, and deep connections to their land, helping the world discover what they’ve created.