Urla vineyard and olive oil tasting

Urla, 40 minutes from Izmir, is home to a cluster of small wineries working with Aegean grapes such as Bornova Misketi and Urla Karası. We take your group to one estate for the afternoon and work with the family that runs it.

The winemaker walks the group through the vines and the cellar, then leads a tasting of four wines alongside local cheeses. A second station is an olive oil tasting with a producer from the peninsula, who explains how early-harvest oils differ and how to judge them. Alcohol-free tastings use grape juices and the estate's own vinegars.

The day finishes with a long-table dinner in the vineyard, cooked from local produce. Harvest season (late August to October) adds the option to pick grapes before dinner.