The Traditional Cyprus Village Wine and Only Vinery in Cyprus That You Can Try It
My Delightful Sunday Experience at Elfie’s Winery
Last week, I was planning my weekend ahead. We were approaching the month of December, the weather was slowly cooling down and the town was getting more and more quiet. Festival, club, and beach season is over, and I was looking for a nice, and relaxing experience. I thought eating a massive meal would be ideal to fatten up for the upcoming winter – bear in mind I am on the Island of Cyprus and the winters get “really cold” here so this was ideal and essential.
I scouted a bunch of Sunday Roast restaurants in my town and picked one that has the most colorful pictures of their served dishes. Convinced my friend Mary to tag along, we made our reservations early on in the week, and when Sunday rolled around we headed out to the restaurant in anticipation of a delightful meal. When making our reservations we were offered a few options to choose from for our Sunday roast. We picked the beef out of options of veggies, chicken, pork, and beef.
The drive from where I live in Bellapais to the restaurant was roughly 35 minutes but it was very pleasant with views of the mountains, and the countryside. When Google Maps told me that I had arrived I was surprised to see that it was actually a cozy house with adjacent vineyard farms. We met the lovely family who welcomed us and showed us to our table. There were only 8-10 large tables but they were all full, I was glad we had our reservations made in advance. We sat on the terrace of this typical authentic Cypriot home which had the roof covered and had arches framing the vineyard and mountain views. They added flowy curtains to these arches on the terrace which I thought was a lovely addition.
We were welcomed with a homemade dry red wine, which was nice and we met the owners Mr. Mehmet and Mrs. Suzzan who gave us the typical warm Cypriot hospitality throughout our stay. We learned from Mr. Mehmet that he was from this village and had experienced grape production and processing in this village for generations. They make a variety of liqueurs which I had the chance to try a few. He mentioned that they make Cyprus traditional Red, Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, Red Prosecco, Sultanas Thomson Prosecco, Shiraz, Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Limoncello among others.
The entrée was a deliciously baked cauliflower with bechamel sauce. We were served homemade mustard and persillade for added flavor. From my understanding, they serve the entree and dessert of the day as part of the roast but these can change depending on the season. Next, we were treated to a nice and fresh homemade limoncello, and well; this was my FAVOURITE out of all the drinks we tried that day. By then, I was already pretty pleased with my experience and was enjoying my time with my friend Mary.
Then I saw the main course the traditional Sunday roast emerging from the kitchen, it was so colorful and the Yorkshire pudding was so fluffy it almost looked like it had more than three dimensions. It looked good, it smelled good, it tasted good, the beef was tender, the gravy was flavorful, the veggies were fresh… There were potatoes, carrots, red onions, and broccoli alongside the meat all soaked in a rich gravy.
Some History of Local Wine in Small Villages of Cyrus
It took us hours to get through this main course, and we had multiple conversations with the owners and their daughter. They told us all about their harvesting season, and how they use no preservatives and always consume all of their alcoholic beverages within the year they make them. Hence everything is organic and fresh. Then we chat a bit about the different types of wines that they make and their grapes, which they mostly use the traditional Cypriot grapes.
We learned that, contrary to popular belief Trodos was not the only traditional place of wine-making in Cyprus. They have been producing wine for generations in this village, it just lost its popularity when demand went down a few decades ago so they started making more of our traditional candy ‘uzum sucuk or sucugu’ from the grapes. They were really passionate and proud of their craft as artisan vintners which is the result of generations of knowledge and experience being passed down. The grapes used and the process of fermentation and pressing are all slightly different even from Trodos wine with nuances of Cypriot wine-making artistry unique to this village.
Read More
For more information about Trodos Trademarked Dessert Wine nicknamed ‘the wine of kings and the king of wines’ you can head out to read my previous article ‘ Local Liqueurs of The Island Cyprus, Home for the World’s Oldest Wine in Production ‘ here: https://mediterranean.condos/2021/08/11/mailbox-series-local-liqueurs-of-the-island-cyprus-home-for-the-worlds-oldest-wine-in-production/
Today, Elfie’s is the only vineyard that produces wine in Cyprus the way the locals have been for centuries. They combine it with their delicious food, majestic views of the mountains, and friendly service in their family establishment.
Not Quite Red, Not Quite Rose
During the main course, we were served another round of red wine but this time it was made from a different type of grape and I found it sweeter and even better. After our mains, we were served a nice cup of cake and ice-cream. We were then treated to another round of my personal favorite limoncellos.
By the end of the experience, our tummies were full, our social batteries were fully recharged, we enjoyed the company of the family very much, and were happy to experience yet another traditional and authentic experience of our beloved island Cyprus. The bill was next to nothing for the quality of the food, approximately 19 US-Dollars per person. Having spent more than 4 hours, we thanked the family for having us and headed back with a promise to come back as soon as possible. I would recommend Elfie’s to anyone who wishes to try something new and authentic in Cyprus.
Sincerely,
Director of Mediterranean Condos | Investment, and Residency Expert Broker in Cyprus Real Estate
Voted Forbes Best Buy | Formerly associated with Live and Invest Overseas, Forbes Global Properties, & Expat Exchange
Email: 📧 cyprus@mediterranean.condos
Phone: ☎️ +90 533 864 1652
