Uzbekistan
Part of the Silk Road Wine Trail
SOGDIANA
11 stops
Samarkand Wine Route
Alexander the Great praised the 'sweet wines of Sogdiana' when he conquered Samarkand in 329 BC. Wine production continued through Islamic rule in hidden cellars. Today, Khovrenko Winery (founded 1868) carries on this ancient tradition against the backdrop of Registan Square.
10 stops
Bukhara Wine Route
Bukhara was the intellectual center of the Islamic world - yet wine traditions persisted. Avicenna, the great Islamic scholar, wrote about wine's medicinal properties here. Visit ancient caravanserai where Silk Road traders rested, and taste wines from desert oasis vineyards.
7 stops
Tashkent Wine Route
Tashkent is where Uzbekistan's wine future is being written. New craft producers are experimenting with both international and local varieties, while the Uzvinprom state facility continues Soviet-era production. The contrast is fascinating and the wines are increasingly impressive.