While in Turkey for two weeks, I had the fascinating opportunity to learn about Turkish wines, and guess what? They are OUTSTANDING! But first, let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

Turkey is a Muslim country. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, prohibits consumption of alcohol, because, “it is the work of Satan.” So it is no surprise that alcohol marketing and advertising are illegal. This makes wine tourism difficult, to say the least.

So how does this sit with a country that produces excellent wine (and beer and a few spirits)? Many people in Turkey – Muslim or not – do drink alcohol, just as they do around the world. And Turkey is a popular tourist destination, with more than 18 million international tourists each year. In response, the city delivers with excellent food and wine options. But you won’t see billboards or signage for alcohol anywhere.

I met Andrea Lemieux, an American wine expert living in Istanbul for a day of talking and tasting. Andrea published “The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine” in 2021. While the first edition sold out quickly, she’s working on the second edition, and I can hardly wait!

Turkish Wine Basics

• Turkey has roughly 200 licensed wineries and together they produce approximately 93 million bottles of wine each year. This is pretty small compared to France (8 billion bottles a year) and the U.S. (378.5 million bottles a year). 
• Turkey grows hundreds of indigenous grape varieties but only about 30 – 65 of them are used for wine. Turkey is the world’s fifth largest grape grower in the world – but just 3% go into wine. 
• Primary red grapes are Okuzgozu, Bogazkere, Kalecik Karasi. Primary white grapes are Narince and Emir
• You’ll see a few high-profile international brands (Champagne Bollinger, for example), but mainly, it’s Turkish wines on offer.

Wine Mindblower: Sultaniye – a native grape variety of Turkey – is vitis vinifera (the common grape vine)! This is the grape that sultanas – aka raisins – are made from. It goes by the name Thompson Seedless in the U.S.

Where to Sip in Istanbul

Solera Wine Bar

Owner Suleyman Er is one of the biggest champions of Turkish wines. He offers dozens of wines by the glass and also owns vineyards. He and his staff know wine and their English is pretty good for answering questions. This is in the Chihangir neighborhood, a subset of Beyoglu). Solera Wine Bar

Wayana Wine Bar

Andrea recommended Wayana, on the Asia side of Istanbul, noted for its 500 wines by the glass. It did not disappoint! Of course, the hardest part was choosing, but the staff are excellent at helping. Wayana Wine Bar

Lacivert

At this seaside restaurant on the Asia side of Istanbul, the view is as great as the food and wine. We took a boat from the dock near Eminonu tram stop. It is about a 45-minute to one-hour boat ride up the Bosphorus River and very scenic! I cannot remember the village where we got off, but it was a 5-minute taxi to the restaurant. Or, arrange with the restaurant for their boat to come fetch you near Rumeli Fortress. It takes some effort to get here, but the food and wine are excellent! Lacivert Restaurant

Biz Istanbul

This was a quirky and delightful find on our final night in Istanbul. It’s in the Taksim neighborhood, inside the Ataturk Cultural Center. It’s a beautiful space on the 5th floor, with sweeping views of Istanbul. The room is large and lovely and there’s a beautiful patio. Their prix fixe menu was less than $100 U.S. per person, and they had a great selection of wines by the glass. Biz Istanbul

For more on Turkish wines, wine bars and wine shops in Istanbul, visit Andrea LeMieux’s website The Quirky Cork. It is packed with fascinating details on Turkish wines and recommendations of all types.