Cyprus Wines

Cypriot wines may not be some of the best known in Europe, but if you’re visiting Cyprus then it really is worth finding out more, visiting some of the wonderful wineries on the island and tasting some of the wines for yourself – easy to do on any of wine-tasting tours organised by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) – www.visitcyprus.com or, if you prefer, visit them independently. There’s great information about the wineries on the island and the history of wine-making in Cyprus on the Cyprus vines website (www.cyprusvines.com). 

Cyprus Wines are some of the oldest wines in the world and wine production has a rich and fascinating history on the island. There is evidence that Cyprus has been producing wine commercially for about 6,000 years. According to the Cyprus Vines website, coins excavated from a site in Paphos which date back to the 3rd century BC, show a vine embossed on one side of the coin, and a wine chalice which dated back to the 6th century BC had an inscription on the base which read, ‘Be happy and drink well’ - clearly illustrating the importance of wine in the daily life of Cyprus all those thousands of years ago. 

Xynisteri is the white grape of Cyprus, which makes a fresh, white wine, best drunk young and well-chilled.

A red wine which is unique to Cyprus is Mavro, a low-acid variety, also served as a table grape.

Nearly all wineries in Cyprus make a variety of wines, red, rose and white – usually in dry, medium and sweet varieties.

The most famous Cypriot wine is Commandaria, acknowledged to be the oldest wine in the world. Legend says that Commandaria was originally made for Richard the Lionheart and the Crusaders. It’s a sweet dessert wine which is made from large grapes grown in the Troodos mountains which are picked late in the season and left in the sun to dry to enhance their sweetness.

If you prefer white wine, one of the top labels in Cyprus is Ayios Andronicos, produced at the beautiful Chrysoriatissa Monastery, which is in the Paphos area, about 40km inland from the main road between Paphos and Polis.

Vineyards in Cyprus tend to be small and in rural areas in the south of the island and in the foothills of the Troodos mountains. The main vine-growing regions are on the southern slopes of the Troodos in the Limassol region and in the south-west of the island, in the Paphos area.

Tours and wine tastings are available at all wineries, although it’s always best to call first if you’re visiting independently.

The wine lover visiting Cyprus will not be disappointed, so when you book your visit to Cyprus, why not book a wine tour too. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has a booklet called ‘The Cyprus Wine Story’ which includes details of tours and is available on PDF to download. The Cyprus Vines website (www.cyprusvines.com) has a wealth of information about wine-production in Cyprus as well as details of many of the wineries on the island. Happy Tasting