Jun 2, 2025
Amazing experiences in Istanbul and Urla - We did two wine tours with Vines and Pearls, one in Istanbul and one in Urla. They were both excellent!
Andrea was our guide in Istanbul and WOW she is a true expert. We learned so much and also had a ton of fun. Andrea shared a number of interesting stories about her experiences as an expat living in Istanbul as well. It was the perfect introduction to Turkish wine and culture at the beginning of our trip.
Sinan was our guide in Urla. So friendly and funny. Since he is originally from the area, he had a unique perspective on the culture and it was a great way to wrap up our 9 night trip with a broader understanding of Türkiye and its people.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Vines and Pearls if you’re looking for unique, authentic and well-curated tours. Everyone was professional and passionate and they all helped make our trip particularly memorable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 4, 2025
A beautiful and wine-filled day in Istanbul! - Great tour that will introduce to Turkish wines. During the tour we visited three centrally located wine bars and tasted a wide array of Turkish wines…red, white, rose and even orange wine. Andrea, our host, was very knowledgeable about Turkish wines and should great enthusiasm about wine culture in Turkey. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Sep 18, 2024
Time to try Turkish Wine - Turkish wine was an unknown for us and we valued our experts guidance and we tried wines made from some unique grapes. While Turkish wines aren’t limited to local varietals we decided to focus on those during our tasting. Fortunately, the wines we tried were very good and made by artisans, often women.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 24, 2024
Amazing tour for curious wine lovers! - Such an amazing wine tasting tour! Andrea was super knowledgable on Turkish wines (she literally wrote the book on Turkish wines!) and helped us pick out wines according to our taste. I try to do a wine tasting in each country I visit, and it was so cool being able to sample native grape varieties with someone with such a deep understanding of the wine making culture of Turkey. The tasting spots were super charming as well. Definitely a highlight of our Istanbul trip!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 8, 2024
Excellent Wine Tasting Experience - We had the pleasure to be guided by Andrea on the streets of Istanbul and into the world of Turkish wines. Andrea is very passionate, knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed visiting three wine bars and tasting wine types still unknown to us at that time. This experience is absolutely worth the price!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 24, 2024
Turkish wines - A wonderful, detailed introduction to Turkish wines with the top English speaking expert in the country. Selections were chosen based on our interests (we are natural wine lovers), pre and post tour communication was top, great suggestions for restaurants and showed us an area of the city we fell in love with. Highly recommended, it was a special day for something unique in Istanbul!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 11, 2023
Goda our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional - Made new friends with group, gained more knowledge about the wine industry. Goda was the perfect host and guide. Her in depth knowledge of the wineries and products was helpful to understand the wines by the regions. Made us feel comfortable with her professional attitude to all our questions
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 11, 2023
Amazing wine tasting walk in Istanbul - An experience that surprised me and I can whole hearted recommend!
I never thought of Turkey as a wine country but I was surprised to learn the rich history of wine in the country and the diversity of grapes that are produced here. Our sommelier Andrea is very knowledgeable. She explained Turkey's rich wine culture and along with her talks we tasted some amazing Turkish wines, both native grapes and international known ones. The three wine bars we visited on our walk had all different vibes what we loved. One was a beautiful historical place, one a small popular bar with a lot of locals and the last one was hidden away in a beautiful wine cellar.
My special thanks to Andrea. She was an absolute delight to listen to and we shared some good laughs. Highly recommend this experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 17, 2023
Fantastic guide, delicious food and wine! - This was a fantastic introduction into Turkish wines. Andrea was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and easy to talk to. She offered great recommendations on wines as well as some to travel tips for Istanbul (for the best food, wine and views). The venues visited were great with a good selection of snacks offered throughout the tour. While it may seem a bit expensive compared to other similar tours, the quality is next to none and will not easily be beaten. It was a great way to get the lay of the man’s and ease into Istanbul. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 13, 2024
A Letdown: Overpriced Wine Tasting Experience in Istanbul - My sister and I recently participated in a private wine tasting tour in Istanbul, led by Andrea, who was indeed a delightful guide. Unfortunately, the charm of our guide could not compensate for the overall dismal quality of the tour, which cost us €458.
The tour took us to three wine bars, all of which were hidden in dreary back alleys that one could hardly associate with a premium experience. The establishments were not only lackluster but shockingly subpar, especially when considering the hefty fee. The supposed highlight, a “rooftop bar,” was merely a cramped balcony overlooking grimy buildings, far from the enchanting city vistas one might expect.
Reflecting on what we received versus the cost, the disparity is stark. With such an amount, we could have indulged in several bottles of fine champagne or enjoyed a variety of premium experiences elsewhere. Instead, we spent our limited and valuable time navigating through the most uninviting parts of Istanbul, tasting wines that did not live up to any standard of quality. While I understand that the Turkish wine scene is still evolving, the level of quality offered was unacceptable for the price charged.
This experience was not just disappointing—it was a stark reminder that high costs do not always equate to high quality. I hope this feedback prompts a reevaluation of the pricing and choice of venues to better reflect the true value and potential of Istanbul’s wine tasting tours.
Review provided by Viator
