Where Do We Begin

Packing is always the hardest part of traveling for me. Whether it's a short trip or a long trip, I always leave it for the last minute. This trip seemed even harder. It wasn't months in the making like my other trips. But it was the start of something new, exciting, and adventurous for my mother and me. Before we could pack, though, we had to plan the trip.

Ruby Imports had been in our heads for a while, and so much had to happen before we stepped foot in Türkiye. But the time had finally come.

Every year, Gustobar hosts a Sommelier Selection event in Istanbul to highlight Turkish wines from across the country. This was the best place to be: the chance to taste the finest wines from Türkiye, all under one roof. The event dates were announced just over a month before it was to take place. We immediately booked our plane tickets and started building a plan.

In the months prior, we had been in contact with Özge, the export manager for Erdel Winery, about our plan to travel to Turkey: to visit producers, taste wines, and experience the vineyards firsthand. So we began making arrangements. Airport pickups, hotels, regional flights, a rental car, appointments with producers, and a few touristy stops along the way. It would be a whirlwind eight-day trip across three different regions.

Now it was time to pack our bags.

We arrived in Istanbul a day before the Sommelier Selection event and checked into our hotel. It was wonderful to be back in Türkiye; it had been years since my last visit. Our room was incredible, and we were staying at the same location as the event. A quick shower, a power nap to shake off the ten-hour flight from Washington DC, and we were off to find food and join our walking tour of Istanbul.

We figured out how to get an IstanbulKart, hopped on the metro, and met up with our walking group. This tour gave me the chance to introduce my mom to a city I fell in love with at first sight. We passed historic mosques, crossed the Bosphorus, toured bazaars, and listened to the layered history of the city.

After the tour, we returned to the hotel to rest before the first day of the event. Let's just say, we were jetlagged. It took us a while to get going, but we had two sessions to attend and a room full of wines to taste.

We attended a seminar on the Çal Vineyard Route, where wines from the region were presented. Our producer, Erdel Winery, was there to discuss the Hanchalar brand. After the seminar, we moved into the tasting room and sampled a wide variety of wines before the event's closing session, where international sommeliers selected their favorites.

It was clear: Turkish wines are making a name for themselves, as long as people have an open mind to try them.

The next day, we had one seminar to attend and spent the rest of our time tasting the 250+ wines available at the event. This session allowed us to meet producers and industry professionals, deepening our understanding of where the Turkish wine industry stands, and where it's going.

We had an early flight to Denizli the next morning. So we turned in early, resting up before our chance to explore the Çal Vineyard Route in person.