On the Road Again

Halil Bey's wife took us to pick up our rental car the next morning so we could make our way to Urla, about a four-hour drive from Denizli. We hopped in, found a gas station, and thanks to Google Maps, had a smooth ride across the countryside toward Izmir.

What we didn't expect was the sheer number of vineyards we'd pass along the way. Mile after mile, the landscape unfolded with rows of vines stretching across the hills.

Our first appointment required a drive up the side of a mountain, through narrow village streets, and, at one point, past a herd of sheep crossing the road. After the adventure of getting there, we finally arrived at Mozaik Winery.

A small wood building situated on a horse farm, we were greeted by cats as we entered the winery. We tasted our way through a selection of wines as the sun began to set over the Aegean hills.

From there, we made our final stop at HUS Winery. We pulled up to the modern structure just as the last light was fading, and were greeted by Ceylan.

HUS Winery has a restaurant that is creating innovative food experiences designed to pair with the wines. Ceylan walked us through her full portfolio before a memorable dinner pairing. The food, the wine, the setting: it was exactly the kind of moment we'd hoped to find on this trip.

Afterward, we drove through the narrow streets of the town of Urla to our hotel. We had done it. We had tasted the wines, met the producers, seen the vineyards, and navigated the roads ourselves.

It was time to rest before our flight back to Istanbul the next morning. But we didn't rest. We went out to explore Urla, where we stumbled across live music at a small restaurant. We grabbed a seat next to the firepit and, after days of tasting, ordered cocktails instead. We spent the evening there before finally returning to our hotel.