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Vineyards of Cyprus Vineyards of Cyprus

One cannot write about the Troodos Mountains without mentioning the many wine villages which are in the foothills of the mountains above Limassol and in the higher Pitsilia area of the forest where the village of  Kyperounta is located.

Those of a certain age will remember EMVA Cream Cyprus sherries which, in their heyday in the 1960s and early 70s, at around the time when Mateus Rose and Blue Nun were in fashion, were the best selling wines in the UK.  But tastes changed and became a lot more sophisticated, so when demand for these rather basic sherries waned, the growers had to up their game in order to keep pace with what the modern palate demanded.

Wine is largely produced on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains between 600m and 1,500m above sea level.  The main producers are KEO, ETKO, LOEL and SODAP who process the bulk of Cyprus grapes.  But, as elsewhere in Europe, small wineries are now making considerable progress.  Two of the most notable wine villages and also the prettiest are Omodos and Koilani where there are 10 such wineries.  Villages such as Vasa (the Argyrides family winery and museum here is one of the best), Arsos, Anogyra, Lofou and Vouni are also worth visiting and are a very picturesque and easy drive from either Platres or Kyperounta.

Cyprus  is one of the oldest wine producers in the world and Commandaria, grown in the Troodos foothills below Pitsillia dates from around 800 BC.  Commandaria is made from raisined grapes and can be drunk as a dessert wine.  There is also a legendary very sweet version which, it is said, has four times as much sugar as port but still tastes wonderful.  History also says that the vineyards on the Atlantic island of Pico in the Azores were originally planted with  the indigenous Cyprus ‘black grape’ (Mavro) in the 16th century. The vineyards on Pico are a now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

In the 12th century, King Richard The Lionheart toasted his new wife Berengaria with Commandaria which he named “the wine of kings and the king of wines”.  The Knights Templar and Hospitaller who controlled the island after Richard had a large estate encompassing all the wine growing villages, the headquarters of which were in Kolossi Castle, called the Commanderie or command centre, from which the name Commandaria originates.

Village of Kyperounta, Troodos mountains Village of Kyperounta, Troodos mountains
Shirnett Ballantyne

By Shirnett Ballantyne

15th April 2018



Talk to our Greece expert

Shirnett Ballantyne
Shirnett Ballantyne

With over three decades of experience working for major travel companies in the UK, Shirnett brings a blend of expertise and enthusiasm to her position within our Greece & Cyprus sales team at Sunvil. Shirnett has extensively explored the Greek islands of Crete, Lemnos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Paxos and Lefkas, and is looking forward to visiting many more in the coming months to expand her knowledge. Her affection for Cyprus dates back to her initial visit in 1992, and her love and knowledge of the island enables her to personalise the ideal Cypriot holiday experience for you.

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We promise that a member of our specialist reservation teams will reply personally to your holiday enquiry before 5.30pm if received before 12.00pm (Monday to Friday). Enquiries received after 12.00pm will be replied to within 24-hours (excluding Sundays).

If your enquiry is of an urgent nature, please telephone our dedicated reservation teams on the numbers listed below.

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  • Greece: 020 8758 4758
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  • Portugal, the Azores, Spain, Italy, Sicily and Scandinavia: 020 8758 4722
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  • Marketing: 020 8758 4731

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