Looking for the best wine bars in Istanbul to explore Turkish wine? Andrea LeMieux of @thequirkycork shares two very different favorites, Solera in Beyoğlu and Wayana in Moda, plus how a Bosphorus ferry ride connects your wine tasting adventure across Europe and Asia. Watch the full Passport to Flavor conversation linked below.
FULL VIDEO 👉 https://youtu.be/JhgBnqPB56c?si=Yi42bnZj9_9qwzuw
✨ What can wine teach us about a place, and how can curious travelers explore unfamiliar wines without feeling intimidated?
Andrea LeMieux always enjoyed wine, as long as it wasn’t Chardonnay or Merlot. That changed when she moved to Türkiye, where her casual interest became a full-blown obsession. She dove into learning and tasting, earning her WSET Level 2 and Italian Wine Scholar certifications along the way.
Travel and wine go hand in hand for Andrea, and she loves exploring a country through its bottles. Her current favorites include Hungary, Greece, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, and, naturally, Türkiye.
Though Merlot still isn’t her thing, she has made peace with Chardonnay. Her true passion is Türkiye’s more than 1,400 native grape varieties. Through The Quirky Cork and her book The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine, the first of its kind, she shares the history, terroir, people, and stories behind Turkish wine.
🍷 FOLLOW ANDREA
The Quirky Cork website
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/quirkycork/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thequirkycork
Private wine tastings in Istanbul with Vines and Pearls
https://vinesandpearls.com/collections/private-wine-tours-istanbul/
✨ BONUS FOR OUR LISTENERS
Save 30% on select downloadable guides from The Quirky Cork shop with code “PassportToFlavor”:
ABOUT YOUR HOST
🍽️😊❤️🌎
Malia Yoshioka is a Hawaii-born food and travel writer, Lonely Planet guidebook author, and the creator of Shoyu Sugar. After nearly 10 years living in Türkiye, she now travels in search of the food, language, and local connections that bring a place to life.
Through Passport to Flavor, Malia talks with people who help us experience the world with greater curiosity and taste outside our comfort zones.
Follow Malia on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/maliayoshioka/
Get weekly travel and food news and behind-the-scenes stories from Shoyu Sugar:
https://www.shoyusugar.com/newsletter/
Explore more stories from Malia:
https://www.ShoyuSugar.com
