Cypriot Xynisteri grape tested in Australia for heat and water resilience
Australian researchers are growing Cyprus’ Xynisteri grape on a small scale to assess its performance in hotter, drier vineyard conditions.
Canberra, Australia. Cyprus’ indigenous white grape variety Xynisteri is being grown on a small scale in Australia as wine growers seek varieties better suited to hotter weather and tighter water supplies. Early research found the variety performed well in heat and under limited irrigation, though longer-term field trials are still needed.
Research and trials
Researchers and Wine Australia said Xynisteri’s potential cannot be properly assessed without further long-term trials in the field.
The variety is one of Cyprus’ best-known indigenous white grapes. Australian growers are examining it as conditions become increasingly difficult in some wine-producing regions.
Cyprus harvest experience
Australian researcher Alexander Copper first encountered Xynisteri while working a harvest at the Zambartas winery in Cyprus in 2010.
Copper worked nine harvest seasons in Cyprus between 2010 and 2019. In 2016, he began researching Xynisteri and another Cypriot variety, Maratheftiko.
He said Xynisteri’s ability to remain healthy through the Cypriot summer drew his attention.
“By the third harvest season, I began to think about, how is this variety so good?” he said.
“It’s the last harvested variety and it has survived beautifully through the heat of the Cypriot summer.”
Project funding
Copper said the project was carried out through the University of Adelaide and with his own funding.
Wine Australia supported part of his PhD research through a top-up scholarship, but Copper said it had not provided ongoing funding for the project since 2021.
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