Results of 10th Cyprus Wine Competition

The Cyprus Wine Sector celebrated it’s Annual Award ceremony closing 4 days of judging for the 10th Cyprus wine competition. Led by an international panel of judges invited by the department of Agriculture, the event was held again under the auspices of the OIV but hosted by the Union of Cyprus Oenologists.

In a contest with 31 participating wineries, the most testimonial proof of the increasing quality of winemaking in this years edition, is that the judges decided not to award bronze medals so as to better reflect the tendency of a higher number of wines earning higher scores.

A tally of 52 awards were given, a total 16 gold and 30 silver medals, a Grand Gold and 5 special distinctions for wines vinified with local varieties.

While 147 wine labels participated in the competing categories of the 10th Cyprus Wine competition, a worthy mention must be made about the growing number of special mentions for vinified with local varieties. Promara, Morokanella and Mavro have since consolidated themselves in the competition with an ever growing number of references.
The special distinction for vinification with top local varieties Xynisteri and Maratheftiko have had surprise outcomes this year.

The counterpart of the special distinctions shine in their own light, while for Commandaria, Aes Ambelis proves its consistency since it’s recent launch, the Promara and Morokanella whites go to the undisputed Vouni Panayia and Gerolemo wineries.

Of notable observation is the strong show of rosés, an amazing first, that rosé wines have become real contenders of high quality wines. While on a lower note, the few number of outstanding reds performing in the competition is surprising – this either reflects the imbalance of judging tilting negatively the results and/or, possibly a message sent to winemakers, for the need of more patience when setting the release of their wines.
Finally, a subtle observation about the set up for such a small national competition, we found it odd that the line-up of tables in classroom style was one which least facilitated discussion,  for sure differences in points at some instances of the judging must have not been easily consensuated with this table format.

Without further comments, The 2017 Cyprus Wine Competition Awards and Medal list goes as follow:

Grand Gold: Commandaria Wine – Aes Ambelis 2010.

Categories with Gold Medals: Commandaria Wines

  • Ayia Mavri Commandaria 2011, Ayia Mavri Winery
  • Alasia Commandaria 2001, Loel Industries
  • Theodora Commandaria 2013, Karseras Winery
  • St. Nicholas Commandaria 2013, Etko Winery
  • Saint Barnabas Commandaria 2002, Sodap Kamenterena Winery
  • Tsiakkas Commandaria 2011, Tsiakkas Winery

Gold awarded Red Dry Wines

  • Saint Fotios, Maratheftiko 2012, Kolios Winery, Paphos Regional Wine
  • Kolios, Shiraz/Merlot blend 2010, Kolios Winery, Paphos Regional Wine

Gold Awarded White dry Wines:

  • Tsangarides Xynisteri 2016, Tsangarides Winery, Pafos regional wine
  • Grifos 2 Sauvignon blanc 2016, Vlasides Winery – Limassol regional wine
  • Ayioklima Xynisteri 2016, Constantinou Winery, Limassol regional wine
  • Persefoni Xynisteri 2016 White, Kolios Winery, Pafos regional wine
  • Tsangarides Chardonnay 2016, Tsangarides Winery, Pafos regional wine
  • Keo Xynisteri 2016, Keo Winery, varietal wine

Gold Awarded Rosé Wines:

  • Aes Ambelis Rosé 2016, Multivarietal wine

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Commandaria flagship, Commandaria bastion of resilience

It’s a return to safe harbor – Commandaria excels in quality and appreciation at the 10th Cyprus Wine Award Ceremony 2017.

It happened yesterday, on the closing bell – 6th of May 2017, at the Annabelle Hotel. The Cyprus wine sector can feel at ease again, as  if there were any doubts, Commandaria rises above all.

There are no tribulations which can resist to the charm and quality evidenced by the Grand Gold recognition awarded to Aes Ambelis.
GrandGoldCommandaria - 10th Cyprus wine competition
We would like to see this recognition also as a collective award that honors a living heritage in Cyprus.  It’s a heritage which still provides us with wise wine teachings and all Cyprus Winemakers should celebrate it. This is also as a reward for a collective and persistent belief that further investment in the quality of Commandaria is a key to the future of winemaking in Cyprus.

We would like express our most sincere congratulations to the winners and all participants, to the jury and invited journalists for their commitment, to the numerous individuals involved in the logistics of making the competition happen and most of all, to the Union of Cyprus Oenologists and in particular, Mr George Kassianos whose particular implication and investment, enabling for the 10th Award Ceremony to be celebrated at the Hotel Annabelle, which was undeniably spectacular.

For the list of results of the Cyprus Wine Competition follow the link – Cyprus Wine Competition 2017

Stellar Commandaria leads the 8th Cyprus Wine Awards

The Cyprus Wine Awards seem to highlight a growing commitment from wineries to Commandaria, it also set a challenge to the judges which decided not to award bronze in favour of high number of wines qualifying for silver. With a tally of a total of 3 grand golds, 16 golds and 24 silver medals awarded, the Commandaria Wines swept top awards, seemingly seducing the judging panel and confirming its good health among the 139 wines labels that participated in the 10 categories of the 8th Cyprus Wine competition. The special distinction for vinification of top local varieties Xynisteri and Marathetiko went to Ezousa Winery, while for Commandaria, it was Keo 1984 Commandaria which captured the distinction. The 2015 Cyprus Wine Competition Awards and Medals list goes as follow: Grand Gold: Commandaria Wine – St.John 1984 from Keo Winery Commandaria Wine – Centurion 2000 from Etko Winery Commandaria Wine – Alasia 2004 from Loel Winery

Categories with Gold Medals: Commandaria Wines

  • Tsiakkas Commandaria 2008, Tsiakkas Winery
  • Kyperounda Commandaria 2005, Kyperounda Winery
  • Kalamos Commandaria 2009, Nicholas Ignatiou & Sons
  • St. John N.V Commandaria, Keo Winery
  • G.Athenodorou Commandaria 2007, G. Athenodorou & Sons
  • Saint Barnabas Commandaria 2005, Sodap Kamenterena Winery
  • St. Nicholas Commandaria 2010, Etko Winery

Gold awarded Red Dry Wines

  • Metharme 2009, Ezousa Winery – Paphos Regional Wine
  • Vlasides Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Vlasides Winery – Limassol regional wine
  • Constantinou Shiraz 2012, C.G. Constantinou – Limassol Regional Wine
  • Kolios, Shiraz 2008, Kolios Winery, Paphos Regional Wine
  • Constantino, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Erimoudes Winery, Limassol Regional Wine

Gold Awarded White dry Wines:

  • Ezousa Xynisteri 2014, Ezousa Winery, Pafos regional wine
  • Epos Chardonnay 2013, Kyperounda Winery, Limassol Regional Wine (gold)

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Fill the gap, taste the wine and earn a medal

Limassol Municipality steps forward in support of the 1st Cyprus Wine Competition of a new Era.

In a statement, the Limassol municipality acknowledged that it is the organization’s unique Wine Competition taking place in Cyprus, in accordance with Regulation tendering wine of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin, OIV) and under the patronage of the OIV

cyruswinecompetition

Two years since the Cyprus Wine Products Council was sent into inoperability by it’s last board members, finally the Cyprus Winemaker Association has sought out the implication of various entities in order to re-establish the annual judging so well executed by the council in it’s last editions.

An enormous gap to fill, which all entities involved will have to manage with the help of Cyprus Enologists  the Cyprus Association of Sommeliers whose main objectives will be to return part of the credibility lost, not so much in the wines but in a competition which had higher aims.

The seven-member jury composed of oenologists and other experts from Cyprus and abroad, will award 30% of the presented samples, in a 3 day competition to be helo in Limassol from the 4th until the 7th of June and extended awards will rank according to Grand Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals. Special awards will be given also to the wine categories such as  Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and a Commandaria.

The official announcement of the results and the presentation of diplomas will be held in Limassol, in a special event to award the late afternoon on Saturday June 7, 2014 at the Cultural Center Panos Solomonides.

The event, called symbolic “Open Doors”, the public will have the opportunity, buying a glass of wine and taste award-winning wines and chat with winemakers and experts of the Competition.

Decanter Awards Silver Lining for Cyprus Wine with Commandaria

The silver lining at the Decanter Awards 2013 for Cyprus Wine participation

Sodap Commandaria Decanter Awards 2013

The results are in,  Decanter Annual Awards of 2013 have been discerned and Cyprus Wines participating may have been the highest in recent years, if it hadn’t been for some significant wineries not participating among the 23 wines being judged in this 2013 edition.  Nonetheless, this year’s participating wines  do carry the spirit for Cyprus Wines and the constancy in the pursuit of further excellence.  Congratulations to the new wineries participating and to Sodap and 2002 vintage of St. Barnabas Commandaria – still carrying the flag for the absolute taste of Cyprus in Wine.

Below you may find a summary of the participating wines and wineries.

 Silver  Bronze  Commended
 Sodap Saint Barnabas 2002 Aes Ambelis Aes Ambelis Omiros 2010 Aes Ambelis Ektor 2010
K&K Vasilikon Winery Ayios Onoufrios 2010 Aes Ambelis Xinisteri-Semillon 2012
K&K Vasilikon Winery Methy 2009 Makkas Winery Gold, Chardonnay 2011
Prophet Elias Winery Gerolemo Muscat 2012 Makkas Winery Gold, Merlot 2010
Sodap Kamanterena Xynisteri 2012 Makkas Winery Gold, Rodostafylo 2012
Sodap Stroumbeli Maratheftiko Rosé 2012 Makkas Winery Syrah 2010
The Anama Concept Anama 2010 Prophet Elias Winery Gerolemo Riesling 2012
Prophet Elias Winery Gerolemo Roze Maratheftiko 2012
Sodap Kamanterena Rhine Riesling 2012
Sodap Mountain Vines Semillon 2012
Sodap Mountain Vines, Cabernet Sauvignon-Maratheftiko 2009
Sodap Stroumbeli Chardonnay 2012
Sodap Stroumbeli Shiraz 2009
The Anama Concept Anama 2009
Vouni Panayia Winery Barba Yiannis 2009

Mondial du Rosé, a natural habitat for Maratheftiko

Honor to Rosés and honor to the Mondial du Rosé competition with Cyprus Wine.

Maratheftiko Rosé captures silver at the Mondial du Rosé Competition

Recent participation of Sodap Wines in this 10th edition of the international competition Le Mondial du Rosé evokes not only the constancy of a Rosé winemaking in Cyprus but also the natural adequacy which the endemic Maratheftiko has for making splendid rosés. The question remains as to why there aren’t more wineries participating in this annual event organised by the French Union of Oenologues.

Rosé owes this achievement to the ambition and determination of winegrowers and producers to master the highly complex technical and wine-making specifics these wines require.

Indeed, a category of wines that has legitimately outgrown clichés of summer  and picture perfect vacation wines. It is thus that not only we celebrate the Silver Medal for Stroumbeli Maratheftiko Rosé but also our most sincere congratulations to the organisers for reaching such a significant milestone.

OIV rules apply to the Cyprus Wine Competition

Cyprus Wine Competition adheres to the OIV rules for judging and  the process can strongly impact  judges unfamiliar with the strict judging protocol.

OIV rules apply to the Cyprus Wine Competition

Judging under OIV rules in Cyprus, work with more feel

If the judging competitions risks resembling a grammar school dream class (not the case above), achieving consensus can in some cases provoke for discussions and re-tasting wines until final note is awarded, dexterity here to be played by the judge presiding the panel.

The 2012 juding in Cyprus presided for the third consecutive year by Rowald Hepp, included testimonial of exception in the name of Tom Cannavan as participating judge can also  attests that the OIV rules can be needlessly strict, especially in the case of those categories where the set of participating wines is extremely reduced.

Although we’re less optimistic about the OIV reviewing it’s rules by the next edition of the Cyprus Wine Competition, we do count that the same high level of performance and world class judging will be performed under the OIV rules as in the past editions.

The upcoming edition of the 2013 Cyprus Wine Competition will be celebrated in Cyprus during the last week of May, from the 28th until the 31st of May, 2013 in Cyprus.

2012 Judging panel was composed of 9 judges: Miroslav Kalinic, Vasos Manoli, Denis Rudenko, Tamas Oroszlan,Maria Tzitzi, David Seijas, Jean Luc Berger, and Tom Cannavan presided by Rowald Hepp.