Tsiakkas winery was established in 1988 just outside Pelendri village on the Troodos Mountains, in the Pitsilia wine region. The first year’s production was 500 bottles of a red wine called Thyrsos. Gradually new wines were made with the addition of a white and a rose wine. The very first wines were made from local varieties as the international varieties were almost nonexistent in the Pitsilia region.
In the late 90s, more and more international varieties were used to make the wines of the winery. These varieties included Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet, Merlot and Grenache. Although some of them are still used by the winery, in the recent years, there is a shift towards Cypriot varieties. Old forgotten varieties are replanted like Yiannoudi and Promara. More research was done on Xynisteri and Vamvakada, both in the vineyard and the winery. Recently a new style of Commandaria and Zivania were added to the products of the winery. The total acreage of the vineyards under winery management stands now at 13 hectares. These are situated in Pelendri, and nearby villages. All our vineyards are certified organic, since 1995. Gradually affiliated winegrowers were convinced to follow organic cultivation as well.
Today the winery produces 200,000 bottles a year and sells mainly to the local market. Upscale restaurants, 5 star hotels, wine shops and a small number of supermarket chains constitute the local clientele. Exports are made to nine countries, namely to Greece, England, USA, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, China and Belgium.
Visit the winery
The winery is open daily, except Sundays and major holidays, from 09:00 until 16:00 hours for vineyard tour, winery tour and wine tasting. For those who wish to have a tour it is advisable to call beforehand to ensure the winemaker is available. There is no need to book for a wine tasting as someone is always readily available. During the visit you get the opportunity to learn about the history of the Cypriot wine-making, visit the small wine museum and the cellars and taste the wines while enjoying the view of the vineyard. Recently, the winery decided to open on certain Sundays as well, during May and November each year. During these months our winery along with other wineries in the region will be open for tour and tasting by the winemaker himself. There is a good reason for choosing these months. During November visitors have the opportunity to taste the fresh whites of the recent vintage and during May they can taste the previous year’s reds right after they are taken out of the barrels.
More over a cheese platter or a picnic basket are available.
Visitors can complement their winery tour with a visit to one of the restaurants in the area, or the cafe which offers more than just snacks. In addition they can visit one of the small sausage factories either in Pelendri village or the nearby villages as the region is famed not only for its wine but also for its sausages and zivania. They can also spend a few days in the area where many old houses have been refurbished and are available for renting. Various nature trails in the area offer a chance to know more about the flora and fauna of the region. You will probably come across a fox or a rabbit which inspired us to create our new range of labels
