Cyprus Wines

The Philloxera beetle, decimated European vineyards in the 1860′s and 1870′s after arriving on vine samples shipped from the USA, never reached Cyprus, the only place in Europe it didn’t. This has meant that the indigenous vines have continued to grow undisturbed on their own rootstocks, often for a hundred or even a hundred and fifty years with the black Mavro grape, which makes up the bulk of most red wines in Cyprus remaining unique. Other grape varieties used in Cypriot wines include the more pungent, higher acidity varieties Maratheftiko and Ofthalmo making interesting reds and Xynisteri, the main wine grape, which makes the majority of white wines in Cyprus.