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The cream of Cyprus winemakers were among an enthusiastic audience at the Londa Boutique Hotel a week ago, to mark the occasion of our first Cyprus Wine Awards. Fifty awards were made, to 23 wineries.
The Londa’s general manager welcomed the guests and introduced your editor, who talked briefly about his more than 20 years’ association with Cyprus winemakers, remarking upon the incredible progress made in the past ten years, moving from grape product processors, through down-sizing to a quality bottled-wine industry with many notable wines.
Then Cyprus Gourmet’s Wine Editor George Kassianos described how the awards came about.
“At Cyprus Gourmet, we taste a lot of wines during a year, and we constantly meet and talk to others who do the same. A picture emerges of what is popular with everyday drinkers, what people like with fish or meat and what is sought after by connoisseurs – so the team is able to note down potential nominations for awards from among all these opinions together with those wines with good ratings in our reviews.
“We noted that most if not all wine awards are made by teams ranging from very small to large of wine business professionals. So we decided to give YOU, the wine consumers, the chance to tell us what you liked best. Through our media outlets of the Magazine, the Cyprus Gourmet Weekly in the Financial Mirror, our website and emails we asked readers to put forward their nominations for the awards. As a result more than 400 contacts were established.
“In addition there are the opinions we collected from professionals in the catering industry, the hotel and wine business and… voilà! We now have judgements that were made by people who live in Cyprus permanently and are a blend of consumers, industry professionals and wine experts. This is a true cross section of wine appreciation.
“We painstakingly took note of all replies and it was worth it. You now have a guide that will take you on a glorious tour of the Cyprus wine world. The three categories of the Cyprus Gourmet Wine Awards are, firstly: Gold Seal (93 – 100 points on the international marking scale), but no wines quite achieved this; secondly, the Seal of Excellence award, (86 – 92 points); thirdly: Recommended Awards (80 – 85 points)”.
And these are the awards presented at the Londa…
“Seal of EXCELLENCE”
RED
Ayios Onoufrios red blend 2008
Lambouri Cabernet Merlot 2005
VASA Mourvèdre, 2006
Zambartas – Lefkada/Shiraz (Syrah) 2007
WHITE
Ayio Klima, Xynisteri dry, 2009
Kyperounda Oaked Chardonnay, 2008
Persefoni, medium-dry Xynisteri 2008
Petritis, Xynisteri 2008
Zambartas – Semillon, 2007
ROSÉ
Ezousa, Eros Maratheftiko 2008
Zambartas Cabernet Franc – Lefkada, 2009
SWEET WINES
Ayia Mavri, Moschatos, 2006
ETKO Centurion Commandaria
KEO Commandaria St John
Lambouri Legacy Commandaria 2000
SODAP St. Barnabas, 2002
“RECOMMENDED” Awards
RED
Aes Ambelis blend,2006
Aes Ambelis Syrah 2006
Domaine Nicolaides Conte Nicholas Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet Franc, 2007
Fikardos Maratheftiko, 2007
ETKO Syrah, 2006
Domaine Hadjiantonas Shiraz, 2007
Kyperounda Cabernet 2006
Kyperounda Syrah 2007
Lambouri Maratheftiko 2005
Lambouri, Syrah 2006 (*)
Pachna Syrah 2006
Omiros Maratheftiko, 2007.
SODAP Stroumbeli Merlot, 2007
Tsangarides Mataro 2007
Vlassides Maratheftiko, 2006
Vlassides Syrah, 2008
Vouni-Panayia Barba Yiannis Maratheftiko 2004
Zambartas Maratheftiko 2008
WHITE
AES Ambelis, Xynisteri – Semillon 2008
Ayios Andronicos, Monte Royia Chrysorroyiatissa Winery 2008
Ezousa Ayios Chrysostomos Xynisteri 2008
KEO Thisbe Xynisteri- Sultanina
Domaine Hadjiantonas Chardonnay, 2008
Domaine Nicolaides Xynisteri, 2008
ETKO Xynisteri, 2008
Kolios Winery Persefoni, Xynisteri, 2009
Tsiakkas Sauvignon Blanc, 2009
Tsalapatis, Rigena, 2008
Vlassides Xynisteri, 2009
ROSÉ
Fikardos Valentina, medium-dry 2008
Domaine Hadjiantonas, Sparkling Syrah
Kyperounda, Grenache 2008
Tsiakkas, Grenache 2009
Tsangarides. Syrah 2009
