Cyprus Gourmet: A RosÃ© by any other nameâ€¦

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Hadjiantonas 2009 “Roze” launched

Theodoros Hadjiantonas wears two hats. You may well see a Cyprus Airways Airbus A319 or A320 overhead of which he in command as it flies off to mainland Europe or the Middle East. But he is also a man with his feet planted firmly on the ground – or to be more exact “terroir”. For he is a man who loves the soil and the environment in which the grapes of his vineyards grow, close to three villages, Pachna, Pera Pedi and Vouni. With his charming French-German wife, Natacha, he has created a handsome winery and visitors’ area above Pareklissia village, where they turn the grapes into a range of “New Cyprus” wines.
Last Sunday he invited friends-of-wine to sample the 2009 Rosé for the first time. Very fresh and clean with bright notes on the tongue, this is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz grapes, and it’s available this week at leading independent wine stores in the main towns, at €11.00 a bottle.
In one small way, the occasion completed a full circle for me and Mary. In 1993 I wrote my first article in Cyprus about our wine, mentioning one of the pioneers of new village wineries, a then Cyprus Airways Captain Marios Michael, who was a partner in a winery at Monagri. I mentioned this to Mr Hadjiantonas. “He was the man who got me interested in wine!” he said.
Interest has turned into passion, and achievement, because Domaine Hadjiantonas wines have won a good clutch of local wine awards, including one in Cyprus Gourmet Magazine’s 2010 TOP FIFTY (for the 2008 Chardonnay). The whole Hadjiantonas operation, from winemaking to presentation and promotion is modern, sophisticated and well planned. In short, the kind of wine business we need in Cyprus.