Vin de Chypre wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

Vin de Chypre designates wines produced across the whole island of Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, without restriction to a single district. The vineyards lie mainly on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains, between 250 and 1,500 metres above sea level, among the highest-altitude vineyards in Europe, with additional plots in the districts of Larnaca and Nicosia. Soils are predominantly limestone, except in the Pitsilia area and the northern part of the Commandaria region, where volcanic soils dominate. The climate is Mediterranean, with long, dry summers and close to 340 days of sunshine a year. Authorised grape varieties combine native varieties such as xynisteri, mavro, maratheftiko and ofthalmo with international varieties including cabernet sauvignon, grenache, carignan, chardonnay and semillon.