Travelers to Turkey:
Discover the 'Juice' of Turkey's Luscious Wine Regions

New York, NY (February 18, 2010) - A little known fact about the country where East meets West and whose ancient trading routes are among the world's most traveled: Turkey is the birthplace of vitis vinifera - otherwise known as the grape vine. With Turkey's prime location in the heart of the "grand terrain," this country was one of the earliest wine-producing regions in the world.

Today, with over 1.5 million acres of land planted under vine, producing between 600-1200 indigenous varieties of grapes, Turkey is the world's fourth-leading producer of grapes, and, as its wines steadily gain popularity in the world marketplace Turkey is poised to be the "next new thing" among wine connoisseurs and is entering the wine producing marketplace as a strong contender against other countries. Kavaklidere Wines Co. (http://www.kavaklidere.com/defaultEN.aspx) , one of the oldest and largest wine producers in Turkey, imports over 10 wine varieties to the United States, are enjoyed by Americans in key markets across the country.

Throughout the years, Turkey's warm climate and ranging topography has helped make its wines diverse as well as delicious. Four distinct wine regions thrive in Turkey, each with their own delightful distinctions: Thrace, in the Marmara region, Aegean Coast, Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia. Following is a brief overview of each as well as suggestions for tasting route stops.

Eastern Thrace: Responsible for over 40 percent of the production of Turkish wine, Eastern Thrace is located along the Sea of Marmara and has a Mediterranean climate. Native grapes grown in this region include white grapes such as Yap¶ncak, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sémillon and Clairette, while red varieties include Papazkaras¶, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cinsault and Kuntra. Leading wineries for travelers in this region are Doluca www.doluca.com, Büyülüba_ www.buyulubag.com, and Melen www.melenwinery.com.

The Aegean Coast, mostly near _zmir, accounts for 20 percent of the country's wine production, and has a more pronounced Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Grapes grown in this region include Sémillon, Bornova Misketi white grapes and a variety of red grapes such as Carignan, Çal Karas¶, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet, Shiraz, Kalecik Karas¶, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Leading wineries for tasting in this region are Corvus www.corvus.com.tr, Sevilen www.sevilengroup.com and Pamukkale www.pamukkalesarap.com.

The vineyards of Eastern Anatolia around Elaz¶, Malatya and Diyarbak¶r are located in the Euphrates Valley - one of the world's oldest wine regions and the alleged location of Noah's vineyards from the book of genesis. Red grapes grown in this region include Öküzgözü and Bo_azkere, which is used to make Buzba_, a full flavored red wine. Historically, the area where this grape is produced is considered the possible birthplace of wine. White grape varieties in this region include, Narince and Kabarc¶k. A terrific suggestion for wine tasting is Kayra www.kayrasaraplari.com.

Central Anatolia: The region of Central Anatolia is the most climatically difficult region in which to produce wine, with most vineyards located more than 4,000 feet above sea level. However, in the summer, grapes of this region can receive up to 12 hours of sunshine a day, and the pleasantly varying wines the land yields make the effort worth it. Varieties of grapes in this region include, Emir and Hasandede white grapes and Kalecik Karas¶, Papazkaras¶ and Dimrit red grapes. Leading wineries are Kavakl¶dere (www.kavaklidere.com) whose wines are available in the United States and Vinkara www.vinkara.com.

Featured Wine & Culinary Tour Packages:

Sea Song Tours is featuring a nine-day "Wine Regions & Culinary Arts of Turkey" tour July 3-11. An intimate group (minimum 6, maximum 15) can experience and learn about three unique wine regions of Turkey - Murefte, Cappadocia and Sirince. Guests will be escorted by a professional culinary expert tour guide and participate in cooking classes, wine tastings and culinary experiences prepared by local chefs. Prices start at approximately $4,200 per person. For more information, visit www.seasong.com.

Turkey at its Best - Private Tours by Newport International Travel is offering a nine-day "Wine Tour" designed for people who enjoy good wine, good food, history and culture. Travelers will have the opportunity to learn and experience the wineries and culinary creations of the Cappadocia, Izmir, Bozcaada and Istanbul regions. Optimal times for this tour are May, June, late August, September and early October. $3,950 per person, based on four passengers. For more information, call (800) 345-8444.

An "Exclusive Wine & Culinary Tour of Istanbul and Western Turkey" starts at $4,777 per person (minimum of 12 travelers) through Wyllys Professional Travel for spring, summer and fall 2010. Guests will experience 12 days of upscale accommodations and have the opportunity to visit to the Istanbul Culinary Institute for cooking classes, the olive oil production center, local wineries for wine tastings, the pine nuts forest and farmer's market for organic produce and a variety of specialty restaurants. Contact Susan Weissberg at 305-442-2008, susanw@wyllys.webmail.com.

For more information on Turkey, call 1-877-FOR-TURKEY or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourist Offices in New York at 212-687-2194; Washington, D.C. at 202-612-6800; and Los Angeles at (323) 937-8066. Information is also available at www.tourismturkey.org or www.goturkey.com. Take a virtual tour of Turkey here.