Turkey
Part of the Silk Road Wine Trail
ANADOLU
8 stops
Cappadocia Wine Route
Cappadocia's surreal landscape of fairy chimneys and cave dwellings has hidden wine cellars for millennia. The Hittites made wine here in 1650 BC. Today, wineries age their bottles in ancient cave cellars carved into the soft tuff rock, creating naturally perfect conditions.
8 stops
Eastern Anatolia Wine Route
Eastern Anatolia is where Turkey's most characterful indigenous grapes originate. Öküzgözü ('ox eye') and Boğazkere ('throat grabber') produce powerful, tannic reds that have been grown here since antiquity. This is Turkey's least-visited but most authentic wine region.
7 stops
Turkish Thrace Wine Route
Turkish Thrace, just 90 minutes from Istanbul, is Turkey's most prolific wine region. The rolling hills and Mediterranean climate produce excellent Merlot, Cabernet, and increasingly impressive indigenous varieties. This is where Turkey's modern wine revolution began.
7 stops
Aegean Turkey Wine Route
The Aegean coast has produced wine since ancient Greek times. Today, the region around Izmir and Ephesus continues this tradition with a fascinating mix of Greek heritage grapes and Turkish indigenous varieties. Visit ancient ruins by day, taste modern wines by night.