Cyprus is one of the oldest wine regions in the world. The sun-drenched drops bring flavor to your vacation.
Limassol (dpa / tmn) -
Because of the corona pandemic, traveling will not be possible for an indefinite period - but there is nothing wrong with worrying about your next vacation. How about, for example, a trip to Cyprus in the footsteps of wine?
Prickly pear cactuses grow on the roadside. The world of hills looks almost steppe-like. It does not look particularly fruitful here, between the south coast of Cyprus and the Troodos Mountains. But the impression is deceptive. Vineyards appear around the village of Doros.
The Karseras winery, a family business, is located on the outskirts. Here the young host Filipos Karseras watches over his realm of stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and bottle storage. The forefather of all sweet wines, the Commandaria, is produced here "in the same way as 5500 years ago", the winegrower enthusiastically tells.
The process is complex. "After the harvest in September, we dry the grapes in the sun for two weeks until they have almost turned into raisins before we press them," explains Karseras. The minimum is two years in the barrel.
Sea climate and peach notes
Not far from the Kolossi fortress is the Cyprus Wine Museum. What makes viticulture so special with its multitude of indigenous grape varieties? "The mountains near the lake, the climate and the soil, because they were once the seabed," explains museum founder Anastasia Guy.
At the top of their hit list is the Xynisteri, a white with peach and citrus notes, fruity and dry at the same time. "If you planted it anywhere else, it wouldn't be the same thing," Guy says. And the Commandaria is a rarity anyway.
Pafos serves as a starting point to discover the wine villages of the West. In addition, the rural areas around Choulou and Pano Panagia exude Mediterranean exoticism: olives, oranges, pomegranates.
In the village of Letymvou there are café chairs on the street, in the mountain monastery of Chrysorrogiatissa five monks produce wine. A staircase leads from the churchyard into the vaulted cellar, the prices in the shop are sensational for Cyprus. A bottle of Xynisteri costs four, a red Shiraz Maratheftiko five euros.
Innovative winegrowers
As old as it may be, viticulture in Cyprus has only recently started to pick up speed. Innovative oenologists like Orestis Tsiakkas have started a quality revolution and at the same time absorbed the know-how of their ancestors.
Orestis' father was actually a bank manager. A visionary instinct made him quit his job in the early 1990s in order to properly set up his Tsiakkas winery, which had been founded by Pelendri.
"Revitalizing the old grape varieties is the new trend in Cyprus," says Orestis. So Promara, Yiannoudin and Mavro. The results are very promising.
Wine growing without irrigation
Winemaker Marcos Zambartas hits the same line in the village of Agios Amvrosios. From the outside, the seat of the Zambartas winery looks like a villa, with the storage facilities in the depths. In contrast, the own vineyards are up to 40 minutes away by car. Apart from the top quality, this may also explain the high price level.
Zambartas points to the fact that irrigation is largely avoided. "We don't have any infrastructure for that," he says. The grape varieties are very robust, there are no problems with pests.
There is a good drop everywhere
Travelers encounter wine in many corners of Cyprus. Seven wine routes are designated. The Commandaria, which winemaker Filipos Karseras loves as a companion "for a relaxed evening", remains omnipresent. That is the best recommendation - and the sun of Cyprus, sip by sip.
Wine Museum of Cyprus
Mountain monastery Chrysorrogiatissa
Zambartas winery
Cyprus
Arrival: There are direct flights to Larnaka in Cyprus from various German airports. For wine tours on the island it is best to take a rental car.
Addresses: The Cyprus Wine Museum, 42 Pafos Street, Erimi CY-4630, Limassol (www.cypruswinemuseum.com). Zambartas Winery, 39 Grigores Afxentiou Street, 4710 Agios Amvrosios, Limassol (www.zambartaswineries.com).
Information: Cyprus Tourism, Schillerstrasse 31 (entrance at Taubenstrasse 1), 60313 Frankfurt / Main (Tel .: 069/25 19 19, www.visitcyprus.com).
