Cyprus Wine Spring wine collection

The circular is out: Cyprus Wine Trip Review

The wrap-up of a 5-day trip to Cyprus last February by active members of The Circle’ of Wine Writers has been shared online. Tip fo the hat to the delegation of members and their hosts for making possible the visit to the island, and to the stories that have already been penned and published in print and/or online.

The review of trip as a report includes member highlights by day, each exploring parts of wine producing regions of the island during the months of February 2024. All the visits during the trip were very carefully curated to make sure that the group came away with a real understanding of the unique history and grape varieties of Cyprus.

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Cyprus wine in Beirut

A first, is a first – select Cyprus Wine Tasting in Lebanon 🇱🇧 #hapening #privatetasting

Beirut cypruswine by Tirebouchonlb<<The hard work of the producers is reflected in the wine… most of the attendees appreciated that with diverse but all positive feedback on the wines tasted>> Toufic & Antoine ~ Tire Bouchon – terroirs et vins

Tasting took place today at the Baron gastrobar in Beirut among sommeliers and winelovers. A group tasting with the presence of Cyprus Ambassador, the consul and trade relations manager. The presented wines were hand-picked by Antoine and Toufic while on a an earlier visit to Cyprus facilitated by Stelios Afxentiou, Ministry of Commerce liason in Limassol.

Wineries that provided wines were Makkas Winery, Ezousa Winery, Zambartas Wines, Tsiakkas Winery, Lambouri Winery, Vouni Panayia winery

Cyprus-wine-decanted-tirebouchon Cypruswinetasting-beirut

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How curiosity in wine stays fashionable

A pleasant reminder of how far intuition and curiosity will still take you in our modern day world of wine

Rosés for the love of it

In a world of ephimeral fashions and trends, it’s highly appreciative to read and see  how far the good old curiosity can take you in modern day world of wine.

Follow this not to miss account on modern day cypriot rosés written and instigated by Elizabeth Gabay MW, joined by Sarah Jane Evans MW and masterly serviced by fellow MW, Yiannis Karakasis – yet another mark of his passage on the island this late spring.

We raise our glasses for their appreciation and the lovely line up pictured above by its author. Panta Kala Krasia

A nature of wine - cyprus wine blog

New Cyprus Wine Vintages to be showcased in Zurich

Spring is the season for renewing contact with New Generation Wines of Cyprus.

April 25, 2016 – Wolfbach11, Wolfbachstrasse 11.  Zurich is the host city to open a series of wine events related to the Cyprus Wine. The first of such occasion to bringing winemakers and winelovers together has been made possible by the guiding selection of Paphos Wein Imports, promoting Cyprus Wines in Switzerland for  a decade now

The wine scene in Cyprus has evolved dynamically in recent years and high altitude vines grown in the high-altitude foothills of the Troodos mountains enable winemakers to produce sought out and complex wines, that combine Mediterranean charm, structure and freshness in itself.

Vines of Cyprus - Winemaking regions of Cyprus

The Zurich event, Zypern: Viel Neues von der Insel, organised jointly with Mettler Vaterlaus, will be a tasting of new vintages made possible by Paphos Wein with the showcase for the long-established varieties like Xynisteri, Maratheftiko or Lefkada as well as from international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon and even the much celebrated revival of Commandaria Sweet Wine.

Guests will be able to meet and talk with Winemakers which be on hand in representation of the wineries from Ezousa, Etko, Makkas, Tsiakkas and Zambartas – all in the fore front of winemaking in Cyprus – An excellent opportunity to renew contact.

The event

15:30 to 17:00
Free tasting for professionals. Admission free. Registration required.

17:00 to 20:00
Free tasting for wine lovers. Admission free. Registration required.

Particiapting Wineries
Ezousa Winery
Etko Wines
Makkas Winery
Tsiakkas
Zambartas Wineries

Date
Monday, April 25, 2016
3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wolfbach11, Wolfbachstrasse 11, 8032 Zurich

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Enter the 8th Cyprus Wine Competition

Return of the Cyprus Wine Competition, an Update for the Cyprus Wine Sector

As a signal to a much desired return to normality for the Cyprus Wine sector, the 8th Cyprus Wine competition returns with a full agenda of activities co-organised by municipality of Limassol, The SOK (winery proprietors) and the Union of qualified Oenologists.

Since the annexing of the now extinct Cyprus Wine Council and interrupted since 2013, the local quality barometer for Cyprus Wine, makes an official return under the guidance of the department of Agriculture and a wider circle of co-organisers and supporting entities.

The competition judging will be held from the 22nd -24th of April and as in the past, it will be following the procedures of the International Organization for Vine and Wine (OIV), open only to participating wines from Cyprus either as part of the Commandaria protected denomination, the protected geographical indication or specific varietal wines – all of which, will have obtained a certificate of conformity from the ministry to participate.

Update: 8th Cyprus Wine Awards Results

8th cyprus wine competition

A series of parallel events will be held across the island.

  • The continued Cyprus Wine Aroma series by the Cyprus Wine Academy will be further pursued as an itinerant Wine Salon from the 17th until the 20th – to be held in Nicosia, Paphos, Limassol and Paralimni successively
  • On going promotion activities and tastings at the Paphos and Larnaca airports 17th-25th April
  • Participating hotels and restaurants 17th-25th April
  • Wine seminar about Commandaria Wine production and Viticulture – 21st April
  • Closing Ceremony & Cyprus Wine Awards – Sunday 25th of April

Exceptionally, all events and celebrations will be held in memory of Oenologist Akis Zambartas, Cypriot Winemaker that passed away last November due to illness.  Our particular sparkle in the sky to eternally shine upon us.

The 8th Cyprus Competition Program can be downloaded via the link as seen in the image below

Open Doors to the Limassol Wine Awards

The New Era Wine Competition in Limassol discerns medals to local wines

Saturday, June 7th, the cultural center of Panos Solomonides in Limassol, symbolical “Open Doors” gave the public a unique opportunity to taste award-winning wines as distinguished by the panel of 7 judges invited for the occasion. The 1st wine competition of a new era, managed independently of the Cyprus Wine Products Council and under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture under the OIV rules managed to discern 33 awards between Grand Gold, Gold and Silver and the 3 special added categories for local wine & grape varieties.

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

 Grand Gold  Gold  Silver
Kyperounda, Chardonnay 2013 Etko, St. Nicholas Commandaria 2009 K&K Vasilikon Winery Methi 2009
Loel, Alasia Commandaria 2007 Mosxatos, Ayia Mavri 2012 Keo Cabernet Sauvignon/Blanc Rosé 2013
Keo, St. John Commandaria Vouni Panayia Barba Yiannis 2012
Vlassides, Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Makkas Syrah 2011
Mosxatos, Ayia Mavri 2011 Vlassides Shiraz 2012
Kyperounda Shiraz, 2012 Kyperounda Petritis Xynisteri 2013
Dafermou White 2013 Erimoudes Athina 2013
Kyperounda Epos Red 2011 Yiaskouris White 2013
Makkas Chardonnay 2013 Constantinou Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Constantinou Shiraz 2011 Tsiakkas Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Makkas Maratheftiko 2011 Kyperounda Rosé 2013
Keo Xynisteri 2013 K&K Vasilikon Winery Vasilikon 2013
Kyperounda Epos White 2013
Vlassides White 2013
Constantinou Ayioklima Xynisteri 2013
Tsiakkas Xynisteri 2013

Special Category Distintiction

Xynisteri: Keo,  Xynisteri 2013
Maratheftiko: Makkas Winery, Maratheftiko 2011
Commandaria: Loel, Alasia Commandaria 2007

Top Rated White Wine

Paphos Regional Wine – Kyperounda Chardonnay 2013

Limassol Regional Wine – Mosxatos Ayia Mavri 2012

Top Rated Red Wine

Limassol Regional Wine – Vlassides Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Paphos Regional Wine – Makkas Winery, Maratheftiko 2011

 

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Zambartas, Vins de Chypre C’est quoi ça? Réponse á tout!

Dans un Français fluide l’ oenologue et propriètaire Akis Zambartas fait une mise au point avec Benoit Gaboriaud sur les points forts de Chypre.

“Le vignoble chypriote est le seul en Europe qui n’a pas de phylloxéra. Il y en a trois dans le monde, ils commencent tous par ch : Chine, Chili et Chypre. On a une viticulture ininterrompu depuis 6 500 ans. On a aussi des cépages autochtones. Donc pas de phylloxéra, cépage autochtone planté sur leurs propres racines, c’est ce qui donne l’intérêt à Chypre.”

Akis zambartas vins de chypre

Suivre l’info: Chez Mensup

Les vins de Chypre

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Xynisteri reveals it’s second nature for Cyprus dry white wine

A secret about Cyprus Wine not to be taken as an advertisement – Xynisteri actually does age

Ezousa Xynisteri 2008
Most Xynisteri white wines produced in Cyprus are actually meant for year-in consumption. However, a few winemakers, exhibiting patience and care for longevity, have been as of late, pleasantly surprised about how Xynisteri expresses today it’s second nature.

The downside to this is that only few selected wineries and  have any well maintained stock to express this nature for the upcoming interest by Winelovers, yet this upcoming appreciation does open possibilities for expanding future styles of Xynisteri.

Pictured:  Xynisteri 100%, 2008 Ayios Chrysostomos, Ezousa Winery

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