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Image by Tim Mossholder

Turkey Wine Tour

Discover the Thrace Wine Route

 

4 days - 5 wineries

Ready to discover the wine gems of western Turkey?  

then join us on September 8 to travel the Thrace Wine Route

Think Istanbul is not a wine destination? Think again! We’re taking you to Turkey’s most fascinating wine region – the Thrace Wine Route. In 4 days we’ll visit 5 wineries, stay at a vineyard hotel and reach all the way to Dardanelles to cover the diverse range of Trakya (Thrace) terroir – from continental to coastal. 

 

Bonus: the tour is happening at harvest time, so we’ll capture the vineyards and cellars at their busiest time of year.

 

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Day 1, September 8

Istanbul

 

We’ll start this wine tour classy. We'll meet at our boutique hotel located in the historical heart of Istanbul.

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Here we’ll check in to the hotel and enjoy a dinner to get to know each other and discuss the plan for the next days of our Turkey Wine Tour.

Day 2, September 9

Tekirdag, first winery on our route

After breakfast we’re departing to the first winery of the tour. Here, in Tekirdag, in the Strandja Massif mountains, we’re in the heaven of Turkish terroir viticulture. The vineyards are sheltered in the valleys of the Strandja Massif – a mountain range that sets border between Turkey and Bulgaria. Soils are of … years old, depending on the plot – you can find fossilized limestone just like in Chablis, clay soil, slate, fossilized trees etc. Each plot with a different soil composition is dedicated to a different grape variety – local indigenous grapes and the best of international varieties found home here in Trakya.

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We’ll have a tour in the vineyard while the grapes are being harvested and do a portfolio wine tasting paired with a rural lunch in a countryside restaurant. Expect fantastic wines and mouthwatering foods.

 

The wines will be presented by their “maker”. Small, family-run winery with sustainable vineyard management practices and one of the leaders in indigenous Turkish grape revival. We’ll discover the rare and local grapes likes Papaskarasi, Kalecik Karasi, Narince and the velvety Bordeaux blends of his producer.

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Day 2, September 9

Vineyard hotel and winery number 2

In the afternoon we will leave further north in Tekirdag and check in to our vineyard hotel. This is a winery and a hotel surrounded by picturesque vineyards. You’ll be free to take a walk among the vines while we prepare for the next wine tasting and presentation.

 

Another portfolio tasting with a focus on terroir driven Bordeaux blends, local grapes like Okuzgozu and Narince, and the more rare to find internationally – Savignon Gris, Pinot Gris and Sangiovese.

Day 3, September 10

Coastal Thrace - wineries three and four

After breakfast it’s time to move south and explore the coastal influences in Thrace – here the Marmara Sea, the Saros bay and Dardanelles trait make the weather.

 

Here we’ll first stop at a winery that focuses on Southern France grape varieties – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre to produce a Chateauneuf du Pape wine on the coast of Marmara sea in Turkey. However, as an “unwritten” tradition in Turkish Thrace, we’ll also taste their Bordeaux blend from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.

The winery is organic certified by Eco Cert with a focus on sustainability, organic and biodynamic viticulture and run by a one of the most renowned oenologists in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region.

 

After the tasting we’re going even further south right to the Dardanelles Strait (Canakkale) to visit a winery with one of the most diverse wine porfolio’s in the country. Although it’s a young and family run winery established in 2012 they’ve already collected more than 500 medals in national and international wine competitions. The winery is a modern and elegant facility with a wine bar and restaurant next doors – perfect for us to enjoy a portfolio wine tasting accompanied by lunch.

 

For tonight we’re returning to our vineyard hotel where the dinner is already waiting for us.

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Image by Louis Hansel

Day 4, September 11

Winery number 5 and return to Istanbul

How about a late breakfast before check-out? Or maybe a final vineyard walk before taking course back to Istanbul?

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Before returning to Istanbul we’ll make a stop at another prominent winery on the Trakya Wine Route. Taste indigenous grapes like Karalahna, Papaskarasi, Okuzgozu along with international grapes like Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, this might be the only winery in Turkey that makes a Sauvignon Blanc orange wine (attention, natural wine lovers!). Expect lots of viticultural explanations and seeing all the details of winemaking at their cellar.

 

After the wine tasting we will stop for lunch and head to Istanbul, our final destination.

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We should arrive to Istanbul at about 17:00 on September 11th.

Important details

Dates: September 8-11

Price: 800 EUR incl VAT/person

Includes:

  • 1 night at a boutique hotel in Istanbul, single or double occupancy according to preference

  • 2 nights at a vineyard hotel on the Trakya Wine Route, single or double occupancy according to preference

  • 3 dinners, all breakfasts and lunches in the most authentic places

  • 5 winery visits, vineyard and cellar tours, 5 portfolio wine tastings with the winemakers

  • Guided and organized by a WSET wine educator, wine event host and wine tour guide

  • Transportation on a private VIP minibus

  • We start and finish in Istanbul

Reservations & Cancellations

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Cancellations: 

  • 30 days before tour start - full refund​ (minus WIX booking service fee)

  • less then 30 days before tour start - non-refundable

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