Top sommeliers share their clients’ favourite Cyprus wines

Commenting as part of a wider interview, four of Cyprus’ most expert sommeliers recently revealed how popular the island’s locally produced wines are with their guests, while also sharing some of their personal experiences on the topic.

Lorenzo Vecce, Head Sommelier at the LPM Restaurant & Bar at the Parklane Resort & Spa in Limassol: Cypriot wines made from indigenous Cyprus grapes are particularly requested and appreciated by visitors who want to combine the Riviera experience with a local twist and to taste wines that they have never tried or would be unlikely to try at home. Among the whites by the glass, Makarounas Vasilissa is very popular. It is fresh, mineral, with beautiful notes of stone fruits and a nice citrus finish. The Kyperounda AKTE rosé was recently added to our selections offered by the glass. It has a soft pink colour, unusual for Cyprus rosé wines, with a bright freshness and minerality, a nice bouquet of red fruits, white peach, apricot, an elegant hint of Mediterranean herbs and light spice.

George Akritides, Head Sommelier & Supervisor of L’ Atelier Robuchon at Ayia Napa Marina: The Xynisteri white variety is very popular and there are a number of local wineries producing high-quality wines that are enjoyed by my guests. The Maratheftiko & Yiannoudi red varieties have dedicated fans as well, all year round.

Andreas Kyprianou, Manging Director of Vino Hospitality Group, Director of Vino Cultura and a Master Sommelier candidate: Looking back over these past 12 years, local wines have always been important to us and we wanted to offer the most exciting findings from local producers and educate our guests about new trends. Ten years ago, we were the first to offer an extensive list of aged Xynisteri when everyone else was struggling to list the new vintage on their list before Christmas. Morokanella is one of the most popular white wines in our list today.

George Kassianos, Sommelier at Thanos Hotels & Resorts: Repeat guests may even have their favourite wineries. Mostly, they remember the grape, if they can pronounce it or they have taken a photo of the label on their mobile phone. Vasilissa and Morokanella seem to be very popular these days and Yiannoudi receives rave reviews. Generally, even wine connoisseurs who can afford higher end wines will always want to try Cypriot wines first. It is our job to compile an informative list of Cypriot wines and ensure that our colleagues in the restaurant know something about these wines – they need to have tasted them – and they can recommend them appropriately. We aim to ensure that our guests have a wonderful time in our restaurants. If wine is an art, then we are the art dealers.

(Photos by Giorgos Charal & Michalis Kyprianou)

This article was extracted from a larger feature in the 2023 issue of The Cyprus Journal of Wealth Management. Click here to view it.)