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Turkey’s struggling wine sector gets Levantine touch

Along Turkey’s chic Aegean coast, the dream of owning a vineyard could easily turn into a nightmare as tourism declines and legal restrictions rise.
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One of the signature wines of Lucien Arkas Vineyards is called Mon Reve (My Dream) — a wink to the Levantine businessman’s youthful dreams of eventually owning a vineyard.

Arkas’ LA Wines stretches over 1.2 acres of land located 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Ephesus, an ancient site on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Complete with 3,000 square meters (3,600 square yards) of wine cellar area, a tasting bar, bar, kitchen and a shady veranda, LA has been bringing to Turkey a steady line of awards in wine-making including from Decanter magazine. LA has also been listed as one of the greatest wine cellars of the world by Switzerland’s Braun Publishing.

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