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.
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Stops
- 1🗺️
Elazığ Vineyard Heartland
Visit the birthplace of Öküzgözü (Ox-Eye), one of Turkey's most prized red grapes. Family vineyards surrounding Lake Hazar produce intensely fruity wines from vines planted at 1,100m elevation.
tour $ - 2🗺️
Diyarbakır Ancient Wine Caves
Explore wine caves carved into the basalt walls of one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Christian Armenian winemakers operated these cellars until 1915.
tour $ - 3⛰️
Lake Van Island Monastery Vineyards
Take a boat to Akdamar Island in Lake Van to see the 10th-century Armenian cathedral surrounded by abandoned monastery vineyards. The monks produced sacramental wine here for 1,000 years.
adventure $ - 4🍷
Mardin Stone House Wine Tasting
Taste Boğazkere and Öküzgözü blends in a restored sandstone mansion overlooking Mesopotamian plains. A sommelier-led experience exploring wines from Eastern Anatolia's emerging producers.
tasting $$ - 5⛰️
Şanlıurfa Vineyard Trek
Trek through vineyards near the legendary birthplace of Abraham. Local tradition says wine was first made here - whether true or not, viticulture dates back 10,000 years at Göbekli Tepe nearby.
adventure $ - 6🗺️
Euphrates River Valley Vineyard
Visit terraced vineyards along the Euphrates River canyon, some of the most dramatic vineyard landscapes in Turkey. Family-run operation producing rustic reds from ancient vine cuttings.
tour $ - 7🗺️
Eğil Historic Wine Cellars
Discover restored wine cellars from the Armenian era in this riverside town. Local cooperative has revived winemaking using traditional Boğazkere grapes from organic vineyards.
tour $ - 8⛰️
Hasankeyf Cave Dwellings & Wine Heritage
Explore 12,000-year-old cave dwellings that once housed wine cellars carved by Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans. Note: Much of old Hasankeyf has been flooded by dam construction, but relocated sites remain accessible.
adventure free