The wines of Tsiakkas Winery

Tsiakkas Winery is a family business making wine in Cyprus. The winery is based in the mountain village of Pelendri, in the Pitsilia area. Its vineyards lie on the slopes of the Troodos Mountains at 700 to 1,440 metres above sea level. They have been farmed organically since 1995 and are among the highest vineyards in Europe. Tsiakkas is regarded as one of the most respected wine producers in Cyprus. Together with Zambartas Wineries, it plays a pioneering role in rediscovering forgotten indigenous grape varieties.

Check out our 6 wines made by Tsiakkas Winery

The winery was founded in 1988 by newlyweds Kostas and Marina Tsiakkas. Kostas was inspired by his grandfather, who also made wine, and gave up a promising career in banking for it. Marina, who had initially focused on the fashion world, became just as involved in winemaking and a mainstay of the business.

The first wines were made from local grapes, as international varieties were barely found in Pitsilia at the time. In the 1990s, during the winery's first expansion, grapes such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot made their entrance in the region, and Kostas planted them too.

Today the second generation of the Tsiakkas family is at the helm. Son Orestis is the oenologist, and his brother Ektoras is responsible for the vineyards. A family member works in every key role, from vineyard and cellar to welcoming visitors. They have changed course towards indigenous grape varieties. The winery has replanted forgotten grapes such as Yiannoudi and Promara, and typically Cypriot varieties such as Xynisteri and Vamvakada – as Maratheftiko is called in Pitsilia – have also been planted.

Pelendri lies in the north of the Limassol district, among pine forests on steep mountain slopes. The winery has 13 hectares of its own vineyards and also works with a regular group of local growers. In total this amounts to just over 18 hectares, spread across nine vineyards around Pelendri, Agros and other villages in Pitsilia. All grapes are harvested by hand. All of the winery's own vineyards have been certified organic since 1995, and the partner growers have gradually been persuaded to farm organically as well.

Thanks to the high altitude, the moderate climate and the temperature differences between day and night, the grapes ripen slowly. This produces pronounced fruit aromas and fresh acidity. Because Cyprus has never been affected by phylloxera, all the vines grow on their own roots. The soils are mainly volcanic and sandy, with slate and limestone in places. We currently have six wines from Tsiakkas Winery in our range. You can view all our wines from Tsiakkas Winery here.

If you want to know more about this winery, here you will find the link to the website of Tsiakkas Winery.