HISTORY - WHO NEEDS IT?

In the wine business, history can mean quite a lot, and also very little. Recent history is important. Ancient history is not - that is for the travel blurbs. I blush sometimes when I see that Cyprus wines are based on 5000 years of history and tradition.

For one simple reason: although it is arguable that Cyprus has the longest continuous history of winemaking, nobody knows what ancient wines were like. Even the tasting notes kindly left behind by the Romans didn't provide much of a clue.

The only thing we can suspect is that olden day wines were sweet, probably incredibly so, to the point where an excess of sugar in the grape juice simply stopped fermentation. The reason for this is that there were no corks or other air-tight stoppers, so wine's enemy, was able to get to the wine and anything less than sweet would rapidly oxidise.

Styles of wine were recorded in the Middle Ages, a period to which some wine industries hark back. Cyprus, for instance. Its "Commandaria" sweet wine is probably not too dissimilar from the wines made here five hundred years ago, which were very highly regarded and widely exported. Being sweet, and therefore stable, they were much in demand from passing ships, who purchased many barrels. I would not like to hazard a guess as to their taste, because wine being brought down from the hills would have been carried on goatskins, lined with resin, carried on donkeys.

The Cyprus wine industry really began in the 1890's, when two proper wine-making plants were established, both in the Limassol district; at Pera Pedi (now being re-developed by KEO, its owner since 1928) and Zanagia (pronounced Sanaja) by the Haggipavlu family, who still make wine there today in its successor premises. Prior to that the Haggipavlu family brought wine down from the hills, blended it, barrelled it and sent on their own sailing vessels to Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and elsewhere. The Cyprus industry has come a long way in 100 years.

More than two million people take their vacations here every year and many drink local wines, which are improving in style, quality and presentation as each year passes. Several of these are now exported in substantial quantities and others to smaller specialist importers. The interesting thing is that these wines are made almost entirely from local grape varieties. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is less than 0.010% and that of Chardonnay is nil. In other words the new style of Cyprus wines, made with Cyprus grape varieties by wine-makers looking outwards to the styles and techniques of their colleagues in other countries, is becoming increasingly acceptable to market requirements. And this is to say nothing of a rapidly expanding home market.

Despite what the labels may say, this has absolutely nothing to do with history!

For the visitor to Cyprus, I give a brief list of white wines that are well worth tasting. Every one is at a price below the cheapest factory-produced plonk you can buy in Europe.

Most of these are made from entirely, or almost entirely, from the indigenous Xynisteri grape, but my selection provides a choice of styles. These wines should be drunk young, preferably at the latest by the end of the year following the vintage. Personally, I prefer to know the year of production and am not a devotee of non-vintage Cyprus wines. This selection is all from the 1999 and 2000 vintages.

Ambelida, from Ecological Winery of Ayios Amvrosios, LimassolClear, light, fresh, moderate alcohol. Dry.Ayia Irini, from Fikardos, PaphosBlend of Xynisteri and Semillon. Fragrant, Fruity. Medium-dry.Ayios Andronicos, from Monte Roya Winery, Paphos. Light gold. Good fruit. Slightly German in style. Dry.Basilikon, from K and K Winery, KathikasGoldy colour, good nose and forward flavour. Dry.Island Vines, from SODAPExcellent balance and for its price, remarkable style.Salera, Olympus Winery OmodosGold. Lots of bite, good body, plenty of acidity.