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A new era for Cyprus by Caroline Gilby MW
The Cyprus wine industry has reached a turning point. On the one hand, EU membership has seen the loss of substantial subsidies for wine exports. This brought to an end the shipments of vast quantities of low-quality bulk wine that had been destined for Sherry-type fortified wines, ‘gluhwein’ and other mass markets in the EU. On the other hand, in 2005, Italian archaeologists found evidence that winemaking on the island dates back to 3,500 bc, possibly the longest winemaking history in Europe. Cyprus also claims one of the oldest images of wine drinkers in the 3rd century ad mosaics at Paphos. And Cypriots are proud of their sweet, fortified wine Commandaria, which is the oldest ‘named’ wine in the world, dating back to the 12th century and still made in the traditional manner from sun-dried grapes. ...
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