Thoughts and Recommendations

Cyprus

Thoughts & Recommendations

All you can say is wow! So many wines and so little time, and this visit has provoked enough interest to make a return visit something I'd be more than interested in doing.

I came to Cyprus with vague notions of geography, history and culinary prowess, and I left with these notions having been challenged, bent out of shape and put through the wringer as we saw unexpected landscapes and wines that are amongst the oldest there is. Dishes were tried dishes that took what we knew and demonstrated new possibilities.

I arrived in the dark of night, which now seems to be something of a metaphor, and left with the sunshine lighting up all manner of notions of what to write about, be it the noble Commandaria, the honest and simple Xynisteri, the solid workhorse that is Maratheftiko, or the many indiginous varietals the Cypriots are working with.

Hopefully, the recommendations I've listed below might inspire you to seek them out, but don't just try these beauties, hunt out those other Cypriot wines and you'll see a range that is more than capable of fitting every palate.

We touched down in Cyprus not knowing much about each other, but the shared experiences and discovers melded us into an army of wine writers keen to use our prose, our descriptors and powers of syntax to convince those who weren't there that this place might just be a destination you'll want to seek out.

Of course, you might say that my powers don't go into enough detail when it comes to talking about the wines I've tried, but if I give you everything, what is there left for you to discover?

For every enjoyable party that takes place, there must be a range of thanks offered to the people who made it all possible, and amongst my many thanks go to Michalis Georgiou for being so proud of his island that he set up this visit with the help of Elina Christofidou and the rest of those at the Ministry of Tourism.

All those welcoming people, wineries and eateries we visited. You showed wines of class and food that oozed flavour, and you should be proud of what you offered.

My fellow members of the Circle of Wine Writers. We sailed forth as strangers and came back as friends who shared so much in such a short amount of time, but my biggest thank you must go to Susan Eames who organised us, looked after us, nurtured us and made sure we didn't embarrass the Circle of Wine Writers, which I hope we didn't.

Now, enough of my yakking, there are wines we should be tasting!

Mallia 2023 Xynisteri

This blend from Limasol opens up the batting when it comes to tasting the great and the good of Cypriot wines.

It's more of an everyday wine you can open on a rest day and easily slurp as the sun rises, the tan comes, and the company proves enjoyable.

It's a bold Apple Charlotte vibe with stone fruit notions prodding your tastebuds. It's so easy on the nose with intense, tropical flavours, but stick about and get a revisit from lively, bobbing apples.

Yiannoudi 2023

I love the name as it almost sound cheeky, or perhaps it's just me. I'm getting a range of flavours coming through, including tobacco, forest floor, slight pepper, weighty dark fruit, chocolate and limestone.

It's made in a single vineyard where 5 hectares have been planted, and it demonstrates that Cyprus might be sailing on a different sea than it did a few years ago.

Santa Irene

Eteon 2021

These old vines (over hundred years and counting) have been nurtured in such a way that the grapes they are producing give wines that have a certain amount of backbone and breeding.

The owner might be humorous, but that nose of green apple fruit with a tight, floral feel is anything but a joke. The mineral taste almost supports the wine like a classical column, and this wine is so food friendly that it could act as a chef on the days off.

Revecca - Classic 2021

Mavro/Xynisteri 50% of each

This wine takes 2 weeks of sun-drying to produce and could really set the world on fire if it's given a chance, and the winery started producing sufficient amounts (something I'm not sure they'll be able to do).

In it's fortified state it leans heavily towards Sherry, but when you leave it alone the magic happens and there's layers of honey, bags of fig, a nutty middle, and bags of rich Christmas flavours that will have you writing a note to Santa.

They say that it goes with ice cream, but it's so versatile it could be a circus act and still have time to tap-dance on your tastebuds.

Ezousa

Palloures SV Xynisteri 2020

If the wine above doesn't satisfy you, then take a sip (or three) of this lovely yellow apple and gooseberry number that is loaded with more flavour than a host of ice cream parlours.

Throw in tropical pineapple, a touch of mango and a little peach and you're going to be ordering more of this wine as soon as you can.

Maratheftiko 2014

For me, and a lot of the others on the trip this was not just a wine, this was an occasion, and we certainly thanked those Greek Cypriot gods when this was poured into our glasses because it was a wine that really grabbed the attention.

There were reservoirs of a steady dark fruit that didn't pale or vanish with familiarity. It held a balance, contained settled tannins and was more elegant than an evening with Stephen Fry.

Tsangarides

Mataro 2022

Mr Tsangarides knows a thing or two about working with different varieties, and this grape adapts well to the climate of Cyprus, and he's trying hard to get the best, and with this wine he's on to something very interesting indeed.

At first it's tight and reluctant to come out to play, but give it time, ponder the beautiful countryside you're standing in and then the wine becomes a fruity, lovely, taste-bomb in a glass and will have you wondering where you can buy a case or three.

It's bigger than the Troodos Mtns, tighter than Paul McCartney's bass, has more dark fruit than a jam factory, and all this goes to make a wine that is jammy with a length that surprises by its distance.