kacollier

We are doing a bike tour in Turkey and they suggested we may want to bring wine from home (due to both price and limited availability). Is all liquor and wine pricey? Could we possibly buy (as Americans) wine or liquor in duty free stores while we are traveling versus hauling it throughout many plane changes?
Thanks...leaving next week and looking forward to biking and sailing in Turkey.

logos999

Wine and liquor is cheap compared to the US, wine usually of low quality, Raki liquor and Efes beer is good, inexpensive and preferred by the locals.

baldrick

Local wine, local raki and local beer are quite good and cheap. Turkey has made a big step forward in wine making in the last decades. I wouldn't think of bringing one bottle of alcohol to Turkey.

logos999

"good" in respect to the quality of wine seems very much to be a matter of interpretation. Turkish wine imo, is among the worst products you can buy over there. On the other hand, if you like "Liebfraumilch" go for the wine ;-)

suze

While I love my wine I would never pack it overseas with me! that seems like crazy talk. Besides how many bottles would it be reasonable to carry in your suitcase, 1-2? that wouldn't get me very far. i'd take my chances and drink whatever is available locally.

PalenqueBob

I assume your bike trip is in western Turkey - the farther east you go the more alcohol becomes strictly Verboten to locals - eastern Turkey is a fundamental Moslem mainstay - kids were throwing rocks at Americans when i went thru there, much like in Iran - (rock, or really pebble throwing at westerners is a common thing in Muslim fundamentalists areas like eastern Turkey. So we should say parts of Turkey that cater to the tourist trade welcome booze - parts i've gone thru do not.

propertravel

You can find almost everything you desire as alcoholic beverages. East or west. Well more choice at west than east depens where ofcourse.

Just to make some comments on some other posters comments : Depending on which wine you drink and how much you pay for ( almost like everywhere in the world ) either you drink a good wine that you will enjoy or you will get something close to vinegar.

Logos999 probably had the vinegar but not the wine.

Bob I just wonder how the kids are realising you are American to throw stone ? usually what people are experiencing is waving hands and small conversation which starts with "hello and ends with hello" It was surprising to read your comments.

One another add up : most Raki consuption of the country according to Turkish Monopolies ( privitised lately ) is Konya !!!! So not easy to make a general comment I gues ;-)

Happy travelling,
Murat

logos999

What wine would you recommend? The "Doluca" wines are pure vinegar sold as wine. Yet you see them everywhere. Dry white or red, which "brand" should I try?

ThinGorjus

My, what horrible xenophobes you all are. You can drink some very nice local wines in Turkey. Have you read my trip report? In it, I mention a very nice Anatolian white that I had at the restaurant in the Hyatt hotel in Istanbul.

logos999

I don't wanna read everything you wrote, please name and price range. Where to buy would be nice too. I'nm not going to pay hotel prices. Thanks

AsiaMinor

Logos,

I don't know if you tried Kavaklýdere, Kayra, Sarafin, Diren, Cankara, Buzbag, Turasan wines.

elina

Well, if you don´t like Turkish wine there are French and Italian ones in bigger food stores and wine shops. At least in more touristed areas. Also in restaurants, maybe except some lokantas.

wally34949

Warning, the red wine in Turkey is the driest wine I have ever tasted. The price wasn't bad unless you tried to buy a glass or small bottle in a bar.

propertravel

Just to name couple : In Cappadocia Turasan, best is red, Bogazkere, okuzgozu, bogazkere-okuzgozu mix or Kalecik karasi, Chateoux Kalecik ( an American wine producer was raving about this wine in a restaurant ), Kavaklidere Selection red or white, Doluca Special Kav, Antik by Doluca white or Red, DG only in Bodrum or Istanbul ( organic wine ) and list is goes so on.

Happy travelling happy drinking

logos999

Thanks , I'll print your list for reference the next time I'm there.

tower

Can't comment on the wine..we're not wine or hard liquor drinkers...occasional beer, though, and I thought the Efes brand to be as good as Tsingtao or Dos Equis or Sapporo, as far as foreign brews are concerned.
Stu

propertravel

One more tip :
Do not buy wine from small shops in small towns. Use bigger markets or in Cappadocia go to the winery itself to avoid wines stayed under sunshine or wrongly stored which will change your taste on the wine ;-)

Happy Travelling

Marko

The wine we tried was in the main quite good, dry whites and lighter style reds, there has been some wonderfull influences and mechanisation by wine makers from Italy, France and even Australia.the friendly turks who have posted here have given some good examples. Efes is a great easy drinking style , cuts throught the ancient hittite dust remarkably well. Raki...lions blood.. is an acquired taste and even the really good stuff is not too expensive. Most Turkish wine is food and company wine, enjoy it that way !

propertravel

Hey Marko,
Next time you are in Turkey I will buy your efes to get rid of the Hitites dust ( loved this expression ) and just a small correction; Lions Milk instead of blood ;-)

Happy Travelling