FIKARDOS WINERY – PAPHOS
One of the great joys of getting away from it all and visiting a sun-soaked island like Cyprus is that you also have a chance to get away from your comfort zone, explore new places and get to know more about a culture that goes back thousands of years.
This particular culture includes the longstanding tradition of wine-making. How often do we really think about where our bottle of wine actually comes from when we pick up the latest bargain from the supermarket or the off licence? Not very often perhaps? So why not take advantage of the opportunity to fill this gap in your knowledge and get even more satisfaction from your stay in Cyprus?
An excellent induction can be found at the Fikardos Winery which has been making quality wines since 1990. Every year, the enhancement in the style and quality of its wines attracts a greater circle of devotees. Because of its hard work and dedication to quality wine making, it is increasingly respected as one of the leading wineries in Cyprus with a growing international reputation.
The south-western slopes of the Troodos Mountains are the location for some of the finest vineyards in Cyprus. Here, long-established local grapes grow alongside famous international varieties that have been introduced successfully to the island. The combination of soil (The ‘Terroir’), location, altitude and climate provide superb opportunities for the winemaker to demonstrate skills in vinification and blending.
The Fikardos Winery is located at Mesogi village, just north of Paphos town. It is a modern state-of-the-art wine-making plant, settled in an area rich with thousands of years of wine tradition.
The origins of Cyprus’ most prolific indigenous variety of grapes – the red wine grape “Mavro” and the white “Xynisteri” – are lost in the mists of time. Other old varieties, like Opthalmo, Maratheftiko, Spourtiko and Lefkada, have blossomed under the hands of today’s winemakers. The land around the Paphos region hill-villages of Kili, Tsada, Kallepia, Polemi, Stroumbi and Letymbou abound with them.
In the past 20 years these fertile mountain slopes have seen plantings of suitable international varieties, which now produce new-style wines of distinction such as Chardonnay, Sémillon, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mataro “Mourvèdre”. Fikardos Winery masterfully utilises these varieties to create fresh, young, fruity wines in both varietal and blended styles, as well as wines suited to ageing.
Fikardos Winery makes a range of red, white and rosé local table wines. New French oak barrels are used for maturing some red wines and for the fermentation of Chardonnay Fume Xilogefiro.
Fikardos wines leave the winery in perfect condition, with daily deliveries by the company’s own vehicles for sale in leading supermarkets, wine stores, hotels and restaurants. The company unashamedly regards its customers as friends – and freely encourages the beginning of that friendship through visits to the winery for a tasting – or enjoying the hospitality of the Leonardo Restaurant owned by Mr Theodoros Fikardos.
For further information, visit the website: www.fikardoswines.com.cy
