Cyprus gets regional wine centre in Limassol

On Monday, in my home village of Vouni, there occurred what in England we used to call a “Topping Out” ceremony (this marks the completion of the contractor’s work and the beginning of the installation of equipment etc.) The building is a good looking one, sited at the top of the village near a recently constructed amphitheatre and catering/leisure area and will in due course house the Lemesos Regional Wine Centre.  It has been constructed on a budget of £233,000, the funding shared between Lemesos District Office and a grant from the European Regional Development Fund.

When completed, the Centre will provide facilities for information about and the display and tasting of wines from the producers of the Lemesos region. Wine and related products will be on sale to the public. It will be promoted as part of Vouni’s growing list of attractions for both local and foreign tourism.

My interest is a personal one in that I gave the concept to the appropriate authorities five years ago. They were taken up by the District Office and developed by consulting engineer/architect Christos Shiamaris. EU funding was sought and obtained.

So in a sense, half of my dream has come true (the other half will be when the centre is open for business!) The contractor, who has put up a structure that is very compatible with its surroundings, is Iacovos Hatzikkos Co. Ltd., of Lemesos.