wine

 Cyprus was the first Mediterranean country to produce wine more than 5,500 years ago and since then wine and wine making has an intrinsic part of Cypriot life ever since. Many families run their own wineries and at this time of the year, more than 25% of the population is involved with the grape harvest. Even though there are 50 wineries in Cyprus today, Cypriot wines are little known abroad, but the Limassol-based Wine Products Council is trying to change the image of Cypriot wines with wine connoisseurs worldwide and to raise the profile other wines in the European market.

The Wine Products Council (WPC) is an independent semi-government organization that was founded fifty years ago and has become increasingly important since Cyprus joined the European Union in January 2004. The Wine Product Council has several roles in Cyprus. The Council implements both EU legislation regarding wine production and the policy of the Cypriot government and advises local wine makers on new techniques and grape varieties that are suitable for cultivating in Cyprus and encourages them to produce top quality wines. The WPC also helps wine makers to promote and advertise their products effectively both on the home market and in the European market place.

The cornerstone for the success of the Cyprus wines is quality because they can never be as competitively priced as other wines simply because the number of bottles produced by each wine company is much smaller than the numbers produced by its European, Chilean and South African competitors. Historically, Cypriot wines were produced and sold in bulk abroad so consequently they were characterless and inconsistent in quality. Since 2004 however, the export of bulk Cypriot wines has dropped dramatically and winemakers have worked extremely hard to bring production methods in line with EU regulations, to stabilize the quality of their products and to develop unique characters for their wines. in many cases, this has been achieved by blending traditional indigenous grape varieties with imported varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Blanche, Chardonnay and Riesling which are all grown successfully in Cyprus. The results have been impressive. As well as developing the overseas wine market, members of the WPC have nurtured the home market and today’s trend is that 60% of Cypriots now regularly enjoy a bottle of wine.

Members of the Wine Products Council knew that they had to help local winemakers to get their wines right for the European market – and to ensure a consistent quality and that the best way to achieve this was by specifying the areas that could successfully produce the different wines. In turn this has led lead to a natural upgrading of all the wine types. This was achieved because the limitations of each area were fully researched and fully appreciated. Vines of certain varieties can now only be grown in certain areas, where they flourish and the best possible quality grapes can be cultivated.

With the help of various schemes - including financial assistance provided by the European Union - winemakers have been able to abandon the use of certain grape varieties that were not doing well in their particular area, adjust their production methods and convert to other grape varieties. A legal framework is now in place which monitors and regulates the production of new wines in these designated areas. These changes have led to the production of some new, exciting and really good wines in the different regions. The Cyprus government has given winemakers its full support in marketing these wines effectively with increasing success.

Local wine producers are striving for quality and are trying to be more competitive. The introduction of the annual Cyprus Wine Competition three years ago has sparked friendly rivalry between the wineries and almost every wine producer eagerly takes part in the competition. The major incentive is that wines are awarded medals and their producer can display the special ‘medal winner’ sticker on their wine labels. The organizers have been delighted with the success of the event and the interest generated in both the international and local press and the event has certainly raised the profile of local wines in the public eye. The Cyprus Wine Competition is gaining increasing recognition and the organizers hope that in years to come it will be as internationally recognized as the Thessaloniki wine competition, where several Cypriot wine producers also did particularly well again this year.

Certainly, there have been many challenges for Cypriot winemakers since the country joined the European Union, but thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of many, Cyprus wines are enjoying increasing popularity as wine lovers across Europe discover their quality and special character.