Jean-Marie Aurand took part in the ninth Cyprus Wine Competition as President of the tasting jury. This competition, placed under the patronage of the OIV, was very well organised and brought together 132 greatly diverse, good-quality wines.
During a meeting with Minister for Agriculture Mr Nicolaos Kouyalis, the Director General emphasised the good collaboration that already exists with the teams of the Department of Agriculture and more specifically the Cypriot Viticulture and Oenology Section. He also expressed the desire for even stronger involvement of the experts in the work of the Organisation. The Minister responded favourably to this proposal, insisting on the interest of an active presence at the OIV for Cyprus.
A decision was made to hold a presentation of Cypriot wines at the OIV headquarters in the near future.
The cultivation of vines in Cyprus – which dates back over 6000 years – is part of the country's history.
The country enjoys a number of advantages that will enable it to develop its vitivinicultural sector and add value to its wines, including promising local varieties (Xynisteri, Maratheftiko, etc.), a growing domestic market driven by tourism and an absence of Phylloxera.
Wine production is currently fluctuating at around 10,000 hl per year for an area under vines of approximately 7000 ha.