Plans Don't Always Go According to Plan

We were scheduled for an early flight to Denizli. Bags packed the night before, a car arranged to take us to the airport. We arrived with plenty of time, checked our bags, cleared the multiple layers of airport security, and grabbed some food. We were supposed to arrive bright and early in Denizli to begin exploring the wineries.

That isn't exactly how the day went.

The Denizli airport sits in an area prone to heavy fog. Shortly before our flight was to board, the announcement came: canceled. We scrambled for a backup plan. Thankfully, there was a later afternoon flight, but it would throw off our entire schedule for visiting wineries in the region. We spent the rest of the day at the airport, waiting.

We reached out to Özge, who was coordinating our visit and staying with the producer, to rearrange everything. Thankfully, what felt like a setback turned into one of the most beautiful experiences of the trip.

The fog finally cleared by evening, and we landed in Denizli. Özge and Halil Bey of Erdel Winery met us and drove us to our accommodations. Halil Bey had graciously offered for us to stay at his home with his family.

Since it was too late to visit the wineries, his wife cooked us an extraordinary meal with fresh ingredients from their garden. We gathered around the television watching the World Cup and began tasting all the wines produced by Erdel Winery. The evening became something we could never have planned: an intimate window into the producer, the region, its history, and the people behind the wines.

We went to bed with full bellies and full hearts, resting up for our winery visits the next day.

Before heading out the next morning, we were treated to a traditional Turkish breakfast and plenty of tea. Then we set off to visit three producers along the Çal Vineyard Route.

I didn't expect to pass so many vineyards as we drove through the region. Row after row, stretching across the hillsides. We tasted with other producers to experience everything the region had to offer, especially the indigenous varietals that thrive in this unique terroir.

After a full day of tasting, we were treated to a nighttime visit to the Ancient Temple of Apollo. We spent one more night in Denizli before setting off to explore the Urla Vineyard Route the next day.