Foreword from the Vice President of the Bacchus Association of the Regional Wine Producers of Cyprus

The pleasure of making and enjoying wine in Cyprus is as old as the civilization of the island. Many are the references in ancient textbooks about the grandeur of Cyprus wines and much archaeological evidence has been found during the excavations of the ancient cities of Cyprus and its neighbouring countries about the importance and quality of Cyprus wines.

Over the last 300 years, however, other European Countries had taken over the lead in developing the processes of making wine but, in just the last fifteen years, we have witnessed a remarkable rebirth of the Cyprus winemaking industry.

Old, nearly forgotten, but very promising grape varieties have been replanted, with most encouraging results. Modern machinery has been introduced and a new generation of oenologists has been instrumental in helping Cypriot winemakers achieve softer, smoother and more complex wines. Some of these, made from traditional grape varieties, have achieved awards in international wine competitions.

International and cosmopolitan grape varieties have also been introduced into Cyprus and the resulting generic wines have received international awards too. In many cases the widely planted local grape varieties are blended with international varieties to enhance body, flavour' and complexity.

This rebirth of the Cyprus wine producing industry was largely achieved with the establishment of the regional wineries and this publication is mainly about them. The purpose of this book is not to tell you about Cyprus wine in the old days but to show you what Cyprus wines are all about today. We invite you to visit the wineries, have a tour or a tasting and get a feel for the potential of Cyprus wines today. We are confident that you will agree with us that a new era is emerging for Cyprus wines and we invite you to be among the first to witness this exciting change.

Last, but not least, we have tried to make your day out as pleasant as possible by including other points of interest in the suggested tours and by recommending places where you can enjoy food and wine. These are places that Cypriots have discovered long before you and have made them their favourites, not just for the quality of their food but for the combination of good food with good wine.

The Bacchus Association 2004 - 2006

Nicos Nicolaides President, Costas Tsiakkas Vice President, Ioannis Christoudias Treasurer, Ioanna Panayiotou Secretary, Sofocles Vlasides, Theodoros Fikardos, Michalis Constantinides, Members