It is important to remember that the names of the varieties sometimes differ slightly or entirely and this has often caused confusion especially when a non-Cypriot is trying to discovery the vines and wines of Cyprus.
Flouriko is a black variety found in the Alona vineyards, the wine produced form this variety is not particularly fragrant and there isn’t much of a colouring to it. Its top shoots are white and fluffy. The adult leaves are very large and orbiculate with a number of secondary lobes. The laves are broad and the lateral sinuses concave, the petiolsar sinus is in an open lyre shape with large ribbed but narrow teeth, with the underside of the leaf spidering out. The clusters produced form this long leaved vine are short and attached to a long shoot. The grapes are conical, semi-compact and are a myriad of colour ranges from dark red to blue-black. They are large ovate and fleshy.
Yiannoudhi / Giannoudi for the purpose of this article we will be referring to this variety by the latter name. This black variety is found in the Alona region. The top shoots are white and fluffy with adult leaves that are average in size and orbiculate with turned lopes. The lateral sinuses are very deep, broad and concave. The petiolar sinus is in an open lyre shape with average sized ribbed teeth. The underside of the leaf spreading out with young ribs. The adult leaves are cylindrical and average in size and hang on a long stalk. The grapes produced are ovate, large in size and have a blue-black colouring, the flesh is firm and the juice produced is almost colourless,
Katomyilitiko – This is a white variety, harvested at Kyperounda and takes its name from the village of Kato Mylos. The top of the shoot is white and fluffy with the first joint divisions spidering out. The adult leaves are average and orbiculate contained five to seven lobed leaves. The lateral sinuses are narrow and often with overlapping edges, the petiolar sinus is in a more or less open lyre shape with pointed teeth that are at time average in size and at other times narrowed, the underside of the leaf is also spiders out. The clusters produced are average in size and they are loosely packed with one or two short sided clusters. The grapes are large and distinctively ovate with a golden white colouring with firm flesh.
Maroucho Black – this black variety, well that’s fitting seen as most people in Cyprus describe red and white wine as black and white, has been found in a vineyard neighbouring that of Chrysorroyiatissa Monastery, was owned by a person called Maroucho. That’s just how newly discovered these varieties were, being at the stage whereby the etymology is so primitive that it can be so easily traced without a shadow of a doubt. However. this grape is no longer cultivated on mass. The adult leaves are large orbiculate and five lobed mainly with a concave lateral sinus and the petiolar sines is in a lyre shape, sometimes with a tooth at the base. The teeth are pointed and very narrow the underside of the leaf is glabrous with weak pubescence on the midribs.
Michalias / MIhalias – this white variety is sometimes simply referred to as Machalias white and has been found both in the vines of the Chrysorroyiatissa Monastery and at Omodos. The top shoots are white and fluffy. The adult leaves are large and orbiculate, thick, lightly peraly and the body mainly five lobed with concave lateral sinuses. It is not uncommon to at times have a protruding tooth at the base. The petiolar sinus is in a tapered lyre form again sometimes containing a tooth at the base with pointed extremely narrow teeth as far as they go and the underside of the leaf is downy. The clusters produced range from small to average sized at times producing a side cluster. The grapes are in fact quite small, oblong with a green colouring containing a hint of goldenness packing a juicy albeit slightly acidic taste, most unfortunately that this wide is no longer cultivated, another tragedy of neglect.
Skouro Mavro – this variety is found in Omodos, its name simply means dark black in contrast to its name the young shoots are white and fluffy however the shoots are a violet-reddish colour. The adult leaves are average and orbiculate. The have five lobes that are narrow with pointed lateral sinuses the petiolar sinuses are however broadly open in and ‘U’ shaped, the teeth are pointed narrow and the underside downy. Its clusters are average sized and contain a side cluster, the grapes produced are rounded and blush producing a juice with a touch of colour to it.
Rodhino/Rodino and Rozoudhi/Rozoudi Rose – these varieties are found in Perapedi Rodino has top shoots that are white and fluffy its adult leaves are large and orbiculate mainly five lobed with concave open lateral sinuses, the petiolar sinuses are in a narrow lyre shape, the teeth are ribbed and also narrow, and the underside of the leaf is downy. Rozoudi’s adult leaves are also large and orbiculate with three weekly lobed leaves, the petiolar sinus is generally closed with overlapping edges with the teeth being ribbed, broad and the end bull nosed, the underside of the leaf too is glabrous with slightly young midribs, the clusters are typically average in size with small, oblong and pinkish coloured grapes.
All these wonderful Cypriot vine varieties that existed for generations, we’ve even seen that certain grapes were neglected, that we just got there too late, but at least they have been explored over the course of the last few weeks and truly providing an insight in the depths of viniculture. It is an important part of our philosophy to acknowledge the effort that has gone into to produce these delightful Cypriot wines.
Photo Credit: CyWineFest team
Credit: Professor Pierre Galet/ Dr Caroline Gilby MW/ Professor P. Mouillefert
