One does not usually associate Turkey with the production of top rate wine and one does not expect wines to grow on steep mountain sides, but, as Turkey is always good for a pleasant surprise, you will find both on a day trip to Sirince.

The place is little more than a village, located high up in the mountains about 8km east of the town of Selcuk. Some tours are available in tourist locations such as Kusadasi, Bodrum or Didim, but not many. Just make your way to Selcuk, by car or bus and then take the dolmus to Sirince from the central bus station. In summer, the dolmus departs every hour on the hour and the ride uphill takes about 30 minutes, the return trip about 10!

As soon as the dolmus leaves Selcuk, the narrow road climbs steeper and steeper and you wonder where the wines are. And then, you see them, in terraces glued to the mountains or in the  sheltered valleys in between.

Despite it being July, everything was so green and the air was pleasantly cool after the scorching temperatures in Selcuk and Ephesus. The dolums stops at the tiny village square and from there you have to rely on your feet and good hiking shoes to manoeuvre the cobbled paths winding between the houses, quite a few of which have been converted into romantic inns. And it’s uphill all the way and down again on your way back, so remember to leave sandals and flip flops at home! I saw a few unprepared tourists having a hard time of it.

As soon as you set foot into the village square you find shops and wineries everywhere, offering their products and inviting you to tastings. The wines made here have a long Greek/Turkish Ottoman tradition and are quite famous. A speciality are the many, many fruit wines, some as exotic as banana and pomegranate.

But, it’s not all about wine. The village itself with its Greek and Turkish houses and the view of the surrounding mountains is lovely and very charming to look at. The small bazaar offers  many hand crafted products, among them hand carved wooden figures and spoons and quite elaborate covers for wine bottles as well as ceramics, hand embroidered linen, soaps and creams based on olive oil and many more nice trinkets which make good souvenirs or gifts.

None of the hustle and bustle of an Istanbul bazaar here, a much more sedate pace rules and the vendors hardly ever say more than a polite ‘merhaba’ or buyurun (please, come in).

There is no shortage of restaurants and cafes where you can rest your feet and fill your stomach. Most of them have wine-covered courtyards where you can enjoy your meal and I was delighted to find that many  offer my absolute favourite: ‘gözleme’ which are the paper thin pancakes filled with potatoes, minced meet, spinach and cheese or eaten plain with honey and nuts.

If you are anywhere in the vicinity during your Turkey holiday, my Europe travel tip is to take a day trip to Sirince perhaps combined with a visit to Selcuk.