Wine Month in Cyprus: the story of one event

It is no secret that Cypriots hold their traditions and culture in high regard and are keen to share their knowledge with visitors to the island. Wine Month, taking place in November 2014 in Cyprus, aims to promote the culture of winemaking not only amongst tourists but also amongst local residents.

Events

In November, Cyprus hosts a range of interesting seminars for professionals on Cypriot winemaking, as well as free tours of wineries, children’s days in Nicosia and Limassol, a photography exhibition on wine in Cyprus, and other equally original events.

We were able to attend one of the events organised by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Wine Lovers’ Club. It took place on 16 November at Nicosia’s largest conference centre.

At the entrance, guests were greeted by children’s entertainers, as one of the event’s themes was Children’s Day. You might wonder what children and wine could possibly have in common? Yet Children’s Day fitted very naturally into the event’s programme.

The young guests were told about Cypriot traditions, took part in competitions centred on grapes, and were given explanations and practical demonstrations of how the traditional Cypriot treat ‘palouze’ is made. Attentive entertainers invited guests to take part in a drawing competition, have their faces painted, sample endless amounts of ‘palouze’ with almonds, and treat themselves to a variety of Cypriot sweets.

Guests were able to visit an engaging exhibition featuring 47 stunning photographs chronicling the history of winemaking in Cyprus: ripe bunches of grapes, the traditional practice of treading the sun-ripened grapes, and glasses of wine captured from interesting angles – to name but a few.

Wine tasting

And then, adult entertainment awaited the adult guests. The event was attended by representatives from 23 Cypriot wineries, who presented their unique products. Without exaggeration, the wine flowed like a river, and each winemaker was keen to tell as much as possible about their wonderful Cypriot wines.

It’s quite a challenge even for experienced tasters to sample them all. But we didn’t stand on the sidelines and took note of a few wines kindly recommended by the president of the Cyprus Wine Lovers’ Club, Dr Andreas Emmanouil.

According to the rules of wine tasting, one should begin with light white wines. Excellent examples of the local Xynisteri variety – which we have already discussed at length – can be found at the Zambartas and Vasilikon wineries, Ezouza; a superb dry white Sauvignon Blanc is produced by Tsiakkas and Tsalapatis; and surprisingly aromatic Chardonnays are available from Kyperounda and Olympus.

It was here that we also met the sole producer of Cypriot sparkling white wine – the Antoniades winery. Here, the sparkling wine is produced using traditional methods, with a press, which gives the wine a unique aroma and flavour.

We move on to tasting the rosé wines. Rosé wines are, perhaps, the true jewel in Cyprus’s crown. The list is endless; many wineries produce rosés with unique characteristics, but we’ve singled out Makkas, Vasilikon and Hadjiantonas.

Well, we continue the tasting and select the most interesting examples of red wines: a full-bodied Maratheftiko from the Zambartas and Sodap wineries, a tannic Cabernet Sauvignon from Vlasides, Erimoudes and Tsangarides, a Shiraz with a long finish from Vlasides.

Next up is Commandaria – the sweet gold of Cyprus. This ‘nectar of the gods’ is available at many wineries, but we’d like to say a few words about a particularly interesting producer – Anama Concept. This is a truly exclusive offering, the result of the work of the only oenologist in Cyprus who specialises exclusively in the production of the world’s oldest wine.

The design of Anama Concept’s bottles changes every year, and the flavour takes on new nuances. For example, the latest Commandaria to hit the market has a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste. Each bottle is numbered: the number is engraved on a metal plate, and production amounts to just around 2,000 bottles a year. The price of this winery’s Commandaria is quite high (around 70 euros in wine boutiques), but its unusual flavour and aroma have done the trick – Anama Concept’s products have been in demand amongst true connoisseurs and collectors for almost five years now.

And, of course, the winemakers presented another traditional drink – zivania. Not only did they present finished samples, but they also demonstrated the production process. The wine lovers’ club purchased an antique machine for producing this traditional drink especially for the annual festival in Limassol. And now anyone who wishes to can not only learn all about the production of zivania, but also see the entire process in action.

As for the drink itself, it is already on display at the producers’ stands. Particular attention should be paid to the zivania from the Kalamos Winery: an amazing red zivania, aged in oak barrels, is available in two varieties – a slightly bitter version with medicinal herbs and a sweeter, milder version.

Incidentally, wines at the event were available at a substantial discount (around 20 per cent off the winery’s price).

Conclusion

Having sampled the most interesting wines and purchased a few of the very best, we left the event, once again convinced that Cypriot winemakers are doing exactly the right thing: although they are essentially competitors vying for a small market, they prefer not to ‘put a spanner in each other’s works’, but rather to join forces to promote their unique product on both the local and international markets. And, believe me, they’re succeeding!