Vineyards & Grapes

Cyprus is an island of incomparable ancient sites and a wealth of romantic legends. It also has 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 civilization. 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."

Cyprus in proportion to it's 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 meters.