Cyprus and the Wines - The first reference to Cypriot wine is in the Bible.
In Solomon's "Song of Songs" Chapter 1, Verse 14 " My beloved in unto me as a cluster
of Cyprus in the vineyards of Engadi".
Cyprus is an island of incomparable ancient sites and a wealth of romantic legends.
It also occupies a unique place in the history of wines and the development of the
wine trade. In fact our wine traditions go back over 4,000 years, virtually to the
dawn of civilisation. One of our wines - Commandaria - is acknowledged to be the
oldest 'in the world and probably the first-ever to be given an 'Appellation of
Origin."
From the very beginning, we have shared our rich heritage with other nations.
We supplied the Pharaohs of Egypt, and our wines were in great demand from the
Ancient Greeks and Romans. Recent excavations in Paphos have yielded old coins
with a representation of a vine on one side. These date from the 3rd century BC
and indicate that even in those days, wine was a major source of the island's
wealth.
An old Cypriot chalice of the 6th century BC recommends its user to
"Be happy and drink well", signifying the quality of wine in the life of Cyprus.
Mosaics discovered in ancient sites on the island bear witness to the importance
of Cyprus grapes and the wines they produced.
Cyprus in proportion to "her" size and population, holds the highest production
rate of grapes in the world. Additionally, vineyards cover the largest percentage
of semi-mountainous and mountainous land, where not financially viable to cultivate
anything else. the vine thrives from sea level up to an altitude of 1,500 metres.
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