Urla emerges as an Aegean wine region with growing tourism

Urla, a district in western Turkey, is re-emerging as a wine region anchored by the Urla Vineyard Route and ten wineries, offering easy access to Izmir and the Aegean coast. The area’s dry summers and limestone-and-clay soils, combined with a long local viticultural history, have attracted vintners who revived abandoned vineyards.

Hus, founded by Juan Pablo and Ceylan Ertorer Diaz Leon in 2018, and Urlice, established by Bilge and Reha Ogunlu, are among the stops on the route. The Urla Bag Yolu is one of four vineyard routes in Turkey and, according to Andrea Lemieux, an Istanbul-based wine expert, is “the most well organized and convenient” of them, with ten wineries mostly within a 15-minute drive, paved roads, directional signs and some boutique hotels.

Urla’s gastronomy scene, including 10 Michelin-recognized restaurants and five with stars, and sommeliers such as Yunus Ozturk—who received a special Michelin Sommelier Award this year—are helping raise the profile of local wines. Most visitors to Urla are Turkish, though international interest is growing.

The region’s development has been constrained by regulations: a 2014 law banning explicit alcohol advertising affects tourism promotion, and December 2023 rules requiring producers to post production-based collateral have strained small wineries.

Key Topics

Culture, Urla, Urla Vineyard Route, Hus Winery, Urlice, Yunus Ozturk