Meet our Vintages 2023: Tethys Rose Ma-Ma 2023 and Tethys Diplogefyro Xynisteri 2023
For the last fifteen years, we have been importing wines from all over the world and always focusing on the local grapes and traditions of each winery we represent. Now it is clear to us, that we need to channel our energy into promoting the uniqueness of Cyprus and the potential of our ancient soils and the well adapted indigenous varieties of our island.
Tethys wines is an aspiring project focusing in single vineyard wines from unique vineyards in the Pitsilia and Krasohoria area.
Every year, we select and harvest the best of the best grapes resulting in producing what is called “vintage” wine. This is why you will not enjoy the same wine from year to year, but get a unique flavor profile, based on the grapes harvested from that particular year.
The origin of our name - TeΘys (Tethys):
Our name pays homage to the ocean TeΘys and is a reference to how Cyprus was formed.
Indeed, the Troodos Ophiolite Complex that gave birth to the island of Cyprus, was formed 90 millions years ago, on the TeΘys sea floor.
Andreas Kyprianou
Andreas Kyprianou has an extensive knowledge about wine and a deep passion for it. He is the first Cypriot to have passed the Advanced level examination at the Court of Master Sommeliers, the most acknowledged international organization providing training, education and certification to the World’s Best Sommeliers. He is currently the first Cypriot who was invited to take the Master Sommelier examination. He also has the title of the BEST Sommelier of Cyprus for 2018/20 and will represent Cyprus at the next ASI Competition for the Best Sommelier of Europe.
On a daily basis, he is the wine director for Vino Cultura, the island’s most awarded Wine Bar. and Rous Restaurant, one of the top fine dining restaurants in the country.
Xynisteri is an indigenous grape variety of Cyprus which was first mentioned in 1881 as one of the best varieties found on the island, with the name ‘Cipro Bianco’ in an encyclopaedic Italian edition and a few years later by the French viticulturist Pierre Mouillefert. To this day, it is the most widespread white grape variety with about 2,500 hectares planted and spread throughout the island, i.e. a third of the entire Cypriot vineyard area. It is the most dynamic variety and has the ability to adapt to a large climatic spectrum, with great resistance to the main vinicultural diseases while it adapts very well to the dry climate of Cyprus.
Following the tragic events related to the Turkish invasion of 1974, it took some years for both the Cypriot society and its economy to fully recover. It took a toll as well on the development of the viticulture and winemaking sectors, which needed about 1-2 decades to catch up with the global growth.