Take a Cyprus Wine Tour
Come with me on a wine tour of Cyprus and prepare to be amazed at some stunning scenery and drink some of the best wine on the island.
Scenic Cyprus wine tour
NEW: Book a wine tasting trip in the Paphos region with transport and lunch included. Perfect for couples, small groups and large groups too eg. wedding parties.
Contact me with the size of your group and preferred dates.
There are two main wine growing areas in Cyprus - the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains near Limassol and the south west of the island in the Paphos region.
This wine tour will take you on a scenic journey through the wineries in the Paphos region.
Cyprus Wine Tour Tasting
Paphos wine growing areas
If you fancy some wine tasting while on holiday in Cyprus, follow this wine route tour in the Paphos region to sample some great quality Cyprus wine.
If you are staying in Paphos, you can start the tour by visiting the Fikardos winery at Mesogi. This winery is not exactly situated in a very scenic location - on an industrial estate on the main B7 road! But the winery has a large range of wines, so it is worth a stop if you have time. The winery, off Ellados Avenue, is clearly signposted.
Otherwise, start your wine tour by first visiting the village of Kathikas either via the B7, turning left as you leave Stroumpi OR via the more scenic coast road from Paphos to Coral Bay, taking a right turn via Pegeia.
Kathikas has two wineries, the Sterna winery with a large selection of wines or the Vasilikon winery, which only offers 4 wines, a white, an everyday drinking red wine, a rose plus a limited edition Cabernet Sauvignon special red.
Tip: Less is often more so guess which of these two wineries in Kathikas is better!
Kathikas village, situated at 800m above sea level, is blessed with a perfect climate for grape cultivation. Stay awhile and admire the views down towards the coast, across the many spectacular gorges.
Tip: Vasilikon winery moved to new premises 18 months ago, 500m off the main road and boasts amazing views from the outdoor terrace of the winery. You can also relax in their wine bar in the evenings.
From Kathikas, take the E711 back to Stroumpi, turn right onto the B7 and then left on the E703 towards Pano Panagia.
It is worth a stop at Polemi to visit the Tsalaptis winery run by Andreas. He has a reasonable selection of wines on offer including the white Regina made from Xinisteri grapes. But a word of warning, Andreas is not often at his winery so make sure you ring in advance!
My Favourite Cyprus Wine
Vibrant Cyprus vineyards
Leaving Polemi, you will pass through several small villages where the scenery becomes ever more breathtaking... ...dense pine forest to your left, the new Kannaviou dam straight in front of you, and the majestic vine-covered ridge above Panagia to your right.
At the bottom of the valley, you will come to Kannaviou village, where you will find one of my favourite Cyprus wines at the Ezousa winery. Michalis, the owner of this winery, is young and enthusiastic, and produces some excellent wine, a little more expensive than other wines locally but well worth the extra Euros in my opinion!
I love all Ezousa wine, but my favourite is his deep ruby red Maratheftiko, which is simply exquisite.
NB: Sadly, Michalis does not offer wine tasting anymore, but you can purchase his wines in all major supermarkets and larger kiosks.
Tip: My other favourite winery is still to come - Tsangarides winery in Lemona - so keep reading!!
Your next stop on the wine tour is the Vouni winery high above the dam, just below Panagia village. The winery has hige premises, a vast cellar and wine tasting bar and you can take a tour of the winery before tasting.
Try the popular red Plakota wine from this winery or the refreshing white called Alina. I'm not a fan of most of the wines here as they produce large quantities across a lot of different wines when I think they would be better concentrating on fewer wines. But taste is very personal, so make your own choice.
Moving on through Panagia village itself, make a stop at the oldest regional winery in Cyprus - the Chrysorrogiatissa monastery. The monks here take pride in their wine production, as do their colleagues a few km further on at the monastery of Ayia Moni. (NB you cannot taste the wine here unless you make an appointment first.)
If you're getting hungry at this point, there are several cafes in Panagia, or you may want to make a small detour before driving past the dam at Kannaviou and head for Phyti village which has a couple of tavernas.
Kolios winery is the next winery on your list, located in a spectacular spot just after Panagia, and offers another good selection of wines to try. The winery also has a restaurant but meals have to pre-booked as it's popular with local ex-pats.
Best Cyprus Wine
Tsangarides winery
At this point, you may have had enough wine for the day, but there is another winery close by to finish your wine tasting experience - the Tsangarides winery at Lemona. Run by Angelos, this small winery offers an excellent selection to rival my other favourite Ezousa wine, so I always have some of both on the wine rack!
Especially good is the Tsangarides Chardonnay - young fresh and smooth, it's more expensive than the everyday white Xinisteri, but it's wonderful. His rose made from Shiraz grapes is also stunning and my favourite summer wine :)
To find Tsangarides, take the road from Kolios towards Choulou/Lemona and drop steeply down to the valley floor as you enter the gorgeous Ezousa valley.
Even if you don't want any more wine, DO make the effort to visit the villages of both Choulou and Lemona as they give a real feel for old-fashioned village life.
Your wine tour ends with a beautiful scenic drive back to Paphos on the E606. If you are staying in the Polis area, simply retrace your steps back to Stroumpi and take the B7 back to Polis.
This wine tour offers some of the best Cyprus wines on the island, not to mention some of the most stunning scenery, but there are a lot of wineries so only choose 3-4 if you don't want to be "wined-out!"
Tip: Contact me if you would like to do this wine tour but don't have any transport (or don't want to drive!)
Yiamas!
Related Pages to Cyprus Wine Tour:
Other Cyprus Wine Recommendations
Favourite Things to Do
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