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.

“I grew up with a wine culture,” Lucien Arkas, the second generation of a Levantine shipping family, told Al-Monitor. “The culture around drinking wine is far different from that of raki [Turkey’s traditional drink]. Raki is the drink of the single men’s tables whereas wine belongs on family tables where men and women drink together.”

Arkas, described by Monocle magazine as one of the world’s top shipping moguls, said he often quotes the Latin proverb, “Good wine makes the heart happy.” He added, “But the key word is 'good.' In the past, Turkish wines were far from being good. I dreamt of making good wine.”