Turkey promoting wine tourism

Turkey's tourist board is promoting the country's wine culture as part of an initiative to highlight the activities and experiences on offer outside traditional beach breaks.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Office UK organised a tasting tour for a group of British wine experts including television presenter Oz Clarke and Times wine critic Tim Atkin.

During trips to vineyards in Thrace near Istanbul and Cappadocia, the visitors tried local grape varieties including Emir and Narince.

They also took part in a blind tasting of 49 Turkish wines, with nine varieties receiving a rating of 'excellent' and the entire selection given an average score of 'good'.

Irfan Onal, director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office UK, said the tour was part of the organisation's focus on the country's "rich and varied cultural offerings".

He added: "Our aim is to continue increasing awareness of how much the country has to offer visitors in addition to beach holidays - from wine and cuisine to archaeology, art, film and music; all of which reflect its huge cultural heritage of more than 10,000 years."

People planning to visit Turkey can catch flights to Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and other destinations.

Posted by Andrew, 10 March 2010 17:11

News tags