Cypriot Wine

Cypriot wines are the result of the perfect combination of the Mediterranean climate, unique soil and high altitude of the vineyards. Some vineyards are located at 1500m altitude and are therefore the highest in Europe! In addition, the volcanic soil adds a delicious mineral touch to the wines.

Local grape varieties:

Xynisteri

Xynisteri is an indigenous white grape native to Cyprus. It is one of the most widely cultivated Cyprus grapes. In fact, about 20-30% of the island vineyards are under Xynisteri. The variety has been known since ancient times. However, until recent days Xynisteri has been used mainly as part of Commandaria – the famous dessert wine from Cyprus which supposedly has been made here since 800 BC. For this wine Xynisteri is blended with Mavro, another local grape. Nowadays, Xynisteri is finally coming out of the shadows as a variety in its own right, capable of making elegant dry white wines. There is growing interest for Xynisteri with more and more Cypriot producers, such as Zambartas and Vlassides, exploring the potential of this ancient grape.

A dry Xynisteri wine is gracious, light and zesty. It opens up in the glass with delicate fruit aromas – lemons, green apples, peaches and apricots, followed by charming floral notes. In Cyprus, to make dry wines, Xynisteri is sometimes blended with a small proportion of other grapes, such as Sauvignon Blanc. This elevates the fruit aromas and enhances the freshness of the wine.

Maratheftiko

Maratheftiko is an ancient grape variety that comes from Cyprus. It is also known as Vamvakada, Vamvakina, Pampakia, Mavrosportiko and Aloupostafylo.

This rare red Cypriot grape was rediscovered about 30 years ago. Initially, this grape variety was used only to add color and body to wines from the Mavro variety. It represents less than 5% of the cultivated vineyards of the island.

Maratheftiko wines are typically deep-coloured and full-bodied. They are characterised by their red fruits, subtle floral aromas, soft tannins, and refreshing high acidity. They respond well to oak maturation, with good examples offering long ageing potential and developing complex flavours of chocolate and coffee.

Other grape varieties that provide the local wine are:

• Lefkada (Λευκάδα) which was vinified in the past but now they have created whole vineyards of many acres, 
• Promara (Πρωμάρα), 
• Spourtiko (Σπούρτικο), 
• Flouriko (Φλούρικο), 
• Yiannoudi (Γιαννούδι), 
• Kanella (Κανέλλα), 
• Omoio (Ομοιο), 
• Morokanella (Μωροκανέλλα),
• Michalia (Μιχαλιάς) and
• Maroucho (Μαρούχος)

Just like with the food, there are also quite a few Greek and Turkish influences on Cyprus when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Sometimes an alcoholic beverage is offered "for free" by the restaurant owner after consuming a dinner. This is not always a Cypriot delicacy. Therefore, below are a number of drinks that people sometimes want to offer as a "thank you for the visit"

Raki (Turkish: Rakı, pronounced rakke) is a Turkish alcoholic drink, usually spiced with anise. There is a Cretan variant of raki (ρακί), which is also called tsikoudia. Raki has an alcohol content of approximately 45% and is often diluted with water. The originally clear raki then becomes cloudy white, just like ouzo, if the variant contains anise. That is why raki is also called aslan sütü in Turkey, which means lion's milk

Tsipouro (Greek: τσίπουρο, romanized: tsípouro) is an un-aged brandy from Greece and in particular Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia. Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40–45% alcohol by volume and is traditionally produced from grape pomace (the residue of the winepress) or, alternatively, directly from wine after the grapes and juices have been separated. Tsipouro is typically produced in two varieties: pure, which is the default, and anise-flavored, which is a relatively new variation introduced during the 1900s. While tsipouro is usually not aged in barrels, barrel-aged versions are also available. It is similar to tsikoudia produced on the island of Crete, but unlike tsikoudia, which is single-distilled and contains no additional flavorings, tsipouro is typically double-distilled and may sometimes include spices, i.e. anise.

Masticha (Greek: μαστίχα; mastícha) is a distillate flavoured with the resin of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus var. chia) which belongs to the same family as the mango and the pistachio. Almost the entire production of masticha comes from the Greek island of Chios. The alcoholic base of masticha is provided by fermenting the grape cake diluted with water that remains after the grapes have been pressed. Wine is made from the juice, the must, the extract of the cake is only suitable for distillation after fermentation. The fermented cloudy juice is distilled and after several distillations a clear, fairly neutral product with a high alcohol content is produced.