May 15th, 2026
Around the world many wine grape varieties are celebrated on a particular day.
A look at the international calendar one realizes that celebrating grape varieties is gaining momentum, some are honored in just one country whilst others are gaining international recognition.
One may ask why we bother with international grape days? Why is so important to have one for our varieties? To start with if gives winemakers and their marketing team, along with wine lovers, a chance to share their love of their favourite variety. Sommeliers create innovative menus pairing different styles of the variety, wine writes and bloggers have chance to reflect and relook at a certain variety and share it with their readers. There are both online and offline events as well as many physical events, for some varieties, in many locations throughout the world.
The Cyprus Sommelier Association decided to establish May 15th, as Xynisteri International Day. Encouraged by the International Maratheftiko Day on December 1st. For this year Xynisteri will be celebrated on Monday in Cyprus at Ktima Mallia, with the presence of press, sommeliers and winemakers, members of the Cyprus Wineries Association. The event is organized by Cyprus Sommeliers Association, KEO and Cyprus Wineries Association and is under the auspices of Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Petros Xenophontos.
The choice of Xynisteri was easy as it is after all the predominant white grape variety of Cyprus. It is used to make light whites made with standard white wine vinification method in controlled temperature stainless steel tanks. Over the last few years, we have seen examples of Xynisteri that took us all by surprise. We have samples now of Xynisteri on lees for several month, spontaneous yeast or wild ferment, ageing in oak, orange wine, single vineyards. Not to mention that together with Mavro it created the ancient and renowned Commandaria.
World’s Best Wines.eu writes “the Xynisteri grape is loosely packed and medium sized clusters and berries of medium size. The grape is very well familiarized to the climatic forms of Cyprus vineyards and its calcareous soils. This grape variety is also very resistant to the powdery mildew vine disease.”
It thrives on the limestone-dominant Cypriot terror, and it seems the best Xynisteri vines are planted in high altitude, where the cooler temperatures enhance the quality of the grape. The variety, as Wine Searcher blog describes, is at its taut, minerally best, producing wines with lifted aromas of fruit and nuts, and flavors of lemon, peach, and white plum. In oak, is bringing spicier, nuttier tones to the fore.” Nowadays, results of vertical tastings show that Xynisteri can age.
Xynisteri is a good match with local cuisine. It is paired well with green salads, halloumi and feta cheeses, fish and meat meze, fried fish and calamari, sea bass or bream on charcoal and grilled lemon chicken for dinner. When oaked it is also good match to souvlaki and char-grilled lamb chops. It is also part of the grape pomace used to distill and create our own eau de vie, Zivania.
