www.talkcyprus.org

[Mete]

Hey, I was doing a little research on wine and I've realized that Cyprus produces more wine than Turkey!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wine_producing_countries

What kind of wine is produced in Cyprus? I don't even know if the north has local wines but I'm very interested to learn more about wine in Cyprus such as the kinds of wine produced in Cyprus, the regions/villages where I can find the best wine and so on.

[cypezokyli]

i dont know what you mean by that mete.
i am not a wine expert by you have red wine rose, as well as cheap and more expensive.

the only one which can be considered kind of unique , is komandaria, which is a very sweet red wine.

i found this interesting as a story

Quote: The first reference to Cypriot wine is in the Bible. In Solomon's "Song of Songs" Chapter 1, Verse 14 "My beloved in unto me as a cluster of Cyprus in the vineyards ofEngadi".

The wines were praised by Dionysos, worshippers of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love celebrated with 'Cyprus Nama" allegedly the oldest wine known in history.

King Richard the Lionheart, from whom I am allegedly descended, captured the island in 1191 and liked the wines, In the same year he sold the island to the Knights Templar, who set up their headquarters or Grand Commanderia in the district where ever since the best known Cyprus wine Commaderia has come from ever since.
Cyprus wine was first introduced to England by King Richard in the same year, 1191.

In 1363 King Peter of Cyprus visited England, where the Lord Mayor held a banquet at Vintners Hall. The mayor also asked King Edward 111, King David of Scotland, King John of France and King Waldemar of Denmark. The feast of the five kings used Commanderia to toast.

Sometime later Queen Elizabeth 1 granted Sir Walter Raleigh the sole agency for Cyprus wines.

For the next 300 years the island was under Turkish rule, who did as many governments do today they put a tax one wine. Thus for these economic reasons the wine industry fell into disrepair.

Britain administered the island from 1878 - 1960 during that time a sherry style wine was produced. This was very popular. In fact
Cyprus is the fifth or was until recently, largest supplier of wines to the British market.

In 1954,75 new varieties of vine were introduced to the island Although there are only four main producers today, 10,000 families are involved in viticulture today.

Since the late sixties there has been strict control of the whole industry via a government body. This body has put in a lot of researchwhich shows today in the improvement of quality in the wines.
Until recently we have only come across them on holiday and in local Cypriot restaurants. Now they are available in some supermarkets.

The wines have improved dramatically since I tasted Cypriot wines ten or so years ago. Now some are well worth while. Try them before you go on holiday to Cyprus. This will give you a benchmark. Experiment with new flavours and tastes. If you don't like a wine you have bought then why not use it in cooking.

Problems with quality seem to arise because many of the grapes are harvested away from the winery and travel by road in open trucks. The grapes are inclined to spoil under these hot conditions.

There are now numbers of smallwineries which are privately owned. The production is small that are not exported -- yet.


and here is the website of the cypriot wine producers
http://www.cypruswineries.com/

they have some interesting info

[zan]

I like a drop of wine every now and again and I prefer red but if a wine label has got Cyprus written on it I stay well away. Sorry to sound negative about it but I have not tasted one wine that is produced in Cyprus that is anything better than watered down vinegar, especially komandaria.

If you like red wine, get yourself a bottle of;

BEAUMES DE VENISE
Cotes du Rhone Villages 2004


and you will see what I mean. I am not an expert on wines by any means but my son brought me back a bottle of this from France and I loved it. Up to that point I drank wines from the southern hemisphere only. I don't really like any other french wines and the German wines are euck!

[stavrizatz]

Interesting I was going to start a tread about Cyprus wines and well... it's good.

Commandaria is one of the oldest wines in the world if not the oldest. Commnadaria is a dessert wine, similar to fortified port wine. Of course it want be good for food but it is my favorite wine with cheese and cakes, especially rich chocolate cakes.

The wine industry in Cyprus in improving, maily in viticultural practices. The climate and the conditions in the wine regions at Troodos are supurb for excelent fruit driven wines.

Zan, I think French wines are good but most are not value for money especially those prestige wines from the top wine regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Loire Valley and Rhone Valley. Especially rip off is Grand Cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Burgundy.

[Mete]

I tried Commandaria twice but it was too sweet for me each time.

[zan]

stavrizatz wrote:

Quote: Zan, I think French wines are good but most are not value for money especially those prestige wines from the top wine regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Loire Valley and Rhone Valley. Especially rip off is Grand Cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Burgundy.

I agree with you and the wine I recommended is no real exception. Although at £6 a bottle it is not the dearest of wines it is still a lot. That is what I used to like about the wines from Australia not, only WERE they cheap but the best around for my palate, but they realised what they had quite quickly and up went the prices. We were buying SA wine , on a recent visit, at 75p a bottle that sells for over £6 in the UK and they are great wines as well.

[city]

zan wrote: I like a drop of wine every now and again and I prefer red but if a wine label has got Cyprus written on it I stay well away. Sorry to sound negative about it but I have not tasted one wine that is produced in Cyprus that is anything better than watered down vinegar, especially komandaria.
...

zan, i think you are generalizing a bit here. Ok, you might personally not have liked any of the Cyprus wines but on international level there a few that get a very good rating every now and then.

Here is a link where you can find a few Cyprus wines in the results list, sorted per year.

[zan]

Sorry for my laziness City but I could not find Cyprus or the Republic of Cyprus listed anywhere. Did you find them any where in particular. Thanks for your help. I am willing to give any of them a try.

[Mete]

Quote:
Sorry for my laziness City but I could not find Cyprus or the Republic of Cyprus listed anywhere. Did you find them any where in particular. Thanks for your help. I am willing to give any of them a try.

Look for Zypern (Cyprus in German) in countries section.

[Khan]

Isnt there a myth that Selim II, also know as Selim the sot (drunk) invaded Cyprus for its famous wine?

[city]

hm, the search function does not seem to work in English, ok I copy/paste some here: :-)

2005 Mediterranean Cabernet Sauvignon, from Paphos, Loel Ltd, rating: very good/Silver

2003 Fikardos Maratheftiko Pafos
and 2003 Fikardos Lefkada Pafos
and 2004 Fikardos Valentina Cabernet Sauvignon - Mataro Pafos, Fikardos Winery Fikardos Distilleries LTD, rating: very good

Kyprion Nama 20 years old Troodos West Xynisteri noble sweet; Kykkos Monastery Winery, Nicosia. rating: Gold

2001er Leonardo Paphos Cabernet Sauvignon dry; Fikardos Winery, Paphos, rating: Silver

2001er Troodos West Shiraz, dry; Vlassides Winery Ltd., Kilani, rating: very good

2001er Paphos Mataro dry; Fikardos Winery, Paphos, rating:very good

1999er Ktima Vlasidi Troodos West Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc / Merlot dry;Vlassides Winery Ltd., Kilani, rating: very good

source: Mundus Vini

no idea though if and where you could buy them...

[zan]

Quote: no idea though if and where you could buy them...

You are such a tease :lol:

Thanks City I will look out for them although a quick search on the Internet did not show any in the UK.

[city]

**lol**

:twisted: quote from Mundus vini

Quote: Dear MUNDUSvini visitors,

On our database, you will find the award-winning wines from 2001 - 2006, with analyses and supply sources.
MUNDUSvini GmbH gives no guarantee that the wines will be available.

[pg]

city wrote:
2001er Troodos West Shiraz, dry; Vlassides Winery Ltd., Kilani, rating: very good


I had this last week and it was actually quite nice.

In general I think there has been some great improvement over the last few years, but in general quality is rather unreliable - even year to year of the same label vary more than agreeable.

The wines from Greece are becoming impressing though... Must not forget to mention that I had a very nice Turkish wine in northern Cyprus...

Still, I find South American, South African and Australian to be safer bets... unless you splash out on a Barolo on Rioja Grand Reserva...

[Marina2005]

Here are two Cypriot made wines I like (found these comments on the internet :-) :-

White

"Ayios Andronicos" 1997, Xynisteri from the Monte Royal Winery at Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery

Made the first 'independent' winery, started 15 years ago, with German advice and equipment. Grapes from the monastery's own vineyards. Problems of inconsistency but on its day this is one of the best whites on the island. Xynisteri, the indigenous variety, makes a nice, fresh wine, which can be fruity and is best drunk young.

Red

Ayios Onoufrios

It is a very good value for money red wine called "Ayios Onoufrios". The label is written in Ancient Greek script so non-Cypriots need to look hard for this wine on the supermarket shelf!

"Ayios Onoufrios" is made by Vasilikon Winery, in the Pafos District, blended from the indigenous varieties, Mavro and Ofthalmo along with French varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Mataro, all of which are grown in Kathikas Village. This is what our Chevalier says:

"This excellent tasting and great value wine will, I am certain, appeal to all red wine drinkers. It has a beautiful, rich purple hue, vivid aroma, fruity taste and slightly perfumed after taste.
Vasilikon Winery recommend that it be drunk as an accompaniment to meat and hard cheese and I couldn't agree more!!"