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Wines from Cyprus: current trends plus top bottles to seek out

Cyprus and its indigenous varieties are thriving and quality is on the up, as is greater recognition from wine lovers around the world. Vahan Agulian gets the lowdown on the current state of wine affairs on this Mediterranean island.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located south of Turkey and west of Syria, Lebanon and Israel. It has a rich history in winemaking which dates back over 5,500 years.

The vines and winemaking areas are scattered around the foothills of the Troodos mountains in the centre of the island, with the seven Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) areas. These vineyards reach a peak of 1,520m above sea level.

Both a Mediterranean climate, providing long hot summers, and a desert wind from the Sahara influence the viticulture and winemaking. Water is scarce and vineyards are often terraced; sometimes the vineyards are trellised and irrigated, but many are made up of old bush vines.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 17 wines from Cyprus


The island itself is phylloxera-free and lays claim to the oldest named wine still in production: Commandaria.


See tasting notes and scores for 17 wines from Cyprus:


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