Focus on Cyprus Immigration to enjoy a high-quality lifestyle: The History of Wine
Research indicates that grape cultivation began in Cyprus as early as 2000 BC, with winemaking established by the end of the Bronze Age. In 1800 BC, the Greek poet Hesiod wrote about Cypriot winemaking. The importance of wine in daily life during that era is evident in the Roman-era mosaics found today in Paphos, a tourist city in western Cyprus. By the Middle Ages, Cypriot wine was already quite famous. Due to the limitations of sealing containers at the time, most early wines tended to be sweet, which led to the emergence of traditional Cypriot sweet wines. These sweet wines not only oxidized slowly but were also easier to transport than other wines, and visitors of the time would often bring them back to their home countries. In the 11th century, when the Crusaders arrived, a warrior named Richard and his fellow knights named this Cypriot sweet wine after the local region: "Commandaria." At that time, Cypriot wine was highly praised by the British upper class; many poets, priests, warriors, and rulers enjoyed tasting it, and it quickly became a premium beverage in civilized society.
However, due to the long-term devastation caused by constant warfare, the island's viticulture industry saw little significant development. During the Turkish occupation in particular, the extremely high taxes imposed on farm owners and winemakers caused the wine industry to gradually decline.
It was not until the 19th century that Cyprus's modern winemaking industry was reborn, beginning to use stone containers for fermentation, adopting barrels, and selling to various parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. In 1927, KEO Ltd., currently the largest winery in Cyprus, was founded. In the early 1980s, the government encouraged the establishment of small-scale wine production enterprises in the grape-growing mountainous regions, with outputs ranging from 50,000 to 300,000 bottles. Cyprus currently has four large-scale wineries (ETKO, KEO, SODAP, and LOEL). There are also over 50 small, distinctive mountain village wineries on the island with annual outputs of 50,000 to 300,000 bottles. Although these enterprises are small, many possess first-class production technology and equipment. These small wineries provide high-quality wines of various types and flavors each year and continuously develop wines using both local and foreign grape varieties.
Location:
Cyprus is a small island in the eastern Mediterranean, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the southern coast of Turkey and further from the western coast of Syria. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, measuring 140 miles (225 kilometers) from east to west, with a north-south length only one-third of its east-west span.
Climate:
Northern Cyprus features narrow mountain ranges and many hills; the southwest has mountains with higher elevations; the center is the fertile Mesaoria Plain. There are no perennial rivers on the island, only a few intermittent ones.
Cyprus has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry with average temperatures of 28–35°C, while winters are mild and humid with temperatures of 4–10°C. Winter is the primary rainy season, and temperatures can drop below freezing in the mountains, where snow occurs. The climate is unique, with 320 to 340 sunny days per year. The abundant sunshine results in grapes with exceptionally high sugar content.
Harvest Season:
Every September, during the grape harvest season, the city of Limassol hosts a grand wine festival.
Grape Varieties:
The country's climate is suitable for cultivating most grape varieties. However, local varieties (Mavro and Xynisteri) are usually the mainstay of barrel-aged products, making local varieties the primary focus of cultivation in this region. Maratheftiko is an ancient variety that has recently become increasingly popular.
These varieties mainly include Mavro, Xynisteri, Carignan Noir, Cabernet, Malaga, Mataro, Shiraz, Ofthalmo, Palomino, Grenache Noir, Alicante Bouschet, Oeillade, and Maratheftiko.
Cyprus Wine Association:
There are two professional wine associations under the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, both headquartered in Limassol. One is composed of over 30 small wineries; the other, established in 2003, consists of the four larger wineries. Their main responsibilities include: addressing quality and quantity issues during the grape harvest season; promoting Cypriot wines such as "Commandaria" (a dessert wine) and "Zivania" (a grape-based spirit with 45% alcohol content); helping to coordinate and resolve issues arising in wine production and trade; organizing enterprise participation in international wine exhibitions; organizing participation in EU projects related to wine production, promotion, and trade; and engaging in other activities beneficial to members and the wine industry. The four major wineries adopt a mutually beneficial approach, with the general managers of each factory meeting monthly to discuss issues of common concern and make relevant decisions.
Production, Export, Awards, and Consumption of the Cypriot Wine Industry:
Cyprus currently has four large-scale wineries, which are the primary exporters, while the output of other small wineries is limited to the local market. In 2005, a total of 25,000 tons of grapes were harvested, with a total wine production of 29,646,867 liters, including 26,283,741 liters of table wine and 3,363,126 liters of dry wine, consuming 530,000 kilograms of grapes and 300,000 kilograms of sugar. Wine exports totaled 16.166 million liters, with an export value of 5.47 million Cypriot pounds (11.744 million USD). Of this, wine made from fresh grapes accounted for 10.438 million liters, valued at 4.42 million Cypriot pounds (9.49 million USD), representing 0.6% of Cyprus's total commodity exports; vermouth and other aromatic wines accounted for 5.72 million liters, valued at 1.02 million Cypriot pounds (2.19 million USD), or 0.1%; and "Zivania" (a grape-based spirit with 45% alcohol content) exports were 8,035 liters, valued at 30,000 Cypriot pounds (64,000 USD). Major export destinations include the United Kingdom, Russia, Greece, Germany, France, Denmark, the United States, Australia, as well as Israel, Kenya, India, Japan, and neighboring countries.
Grape cultivation is crucial to the quality of wine. Today, Cyprus has two major cultivation bases, primarily distributed south of the Troodos Mountains in the Limassol district and in the Paphos region in the southwest. The planting area covers 23,500 hectares, of which 21,500 hectares are used for wine grapes. The total annual grape production is 200,000 tons. One-quarter of the island's agricultural population is engaged in viticulture, accounting for 7% of the total agricultural output value. It also produces many processed grape products, which are among Cyprus's main export goods. There are as many as 31 grape varieties grown, with the main ones being Mavro, Xynisteri, Carignan Noir, and Sultana (seedless grapes), with planting areas of 9,214, 2,657, 916, and 903 hectares, respectively.
Cypriot wine enjoys international renown and has won numerous awards in many important international wine competitions. For example, the KEO winery's sweet wine, Commandaria, won a gold medal at the 6th Thessaloniki International Wine Competition and the first Cyprus Wine Competition. LOEL's Muscat wine, Commandaria, and brandy won gold medals at the Leipzig WorldWay Fair in Germany in 1978, 1980, and 1984, respectively. This year, the company's sweet wine also won a gold medal at the CHALLENGE exhibition in France; additionally, its 2004 Cabernet red wine received a quality certification in Germany. The ETKO winery's dry sherry won a gold medal at the Leipzig WorldWay Fair as early as 1968, and its dry red wine and Commandaria also won gold medals at the 1980 Bristol International Exhibition. Several wines produced by the SODAP winery were also recognized in international wine competitions from 1999 to 2001; its Semillon white wine won a bronze medal at the 2004 International Wine Competition, and its 1999 bottled Cabernet red wine also won a bronze medal in 2000.