Mouklos

Mavro Mouklos.

Our winery's new experimental wine is here to stay.

Cyprus's ugly duckling turns into a swan!

What do we mean when we say Mavro in Cyprus? Many people think we are talking about the colour of the wine, but in Cypriot terms we actually mean the local Cypriot variety Mavro, or Mavro Ampelisimo. But what is this variety, and what is its place in the island's wine history?

Mavro Ampelisimo is the best-known and most widely planted grape variety in Cyprus (>30%). Its roots on our island go back at least five thousand years, and it thrives from the lowest altitudes right up to the highest vineyard plots of Pitsilia (>1500m). In old Mavro vineyards we often find Xynisteri, Pampatzies (Vamvakada/Maratheftiko) and Yiannoudi planted among the vines. The main reason is that Mavro, as a variety, has neither a deep colour nor a full body. Vinifying these varieties together therefore gave a wine with a deeper colour and a fuller body. A "field blend", as they proudly say abroad.

It was always vinified in clay jars (pitharia), making both dry and sweet wines, as it is one of the two varieties permitted for Commandaria. It is a malleable variety, but it needs care to express itself properly.

For the record, winemakers and consumers alike neglected wines made from Mavro on the pretext that it does not produce quality wine, which made room for wines from imported and foreign varieties. Many considered it an outdated variety. So over the last decades it faded from the Sunday table, and that is more or less where the story of our own Mavro Mouklos begins.

When I returned from my studies in 2017, our father bought an old Mavro vineyard in the Mouklos area. As a challenge, we decided to vinify Mavro experimentally for one vintage to see what the variety could do. After all, our father had already experimented with Mavro in the past. Why not blend experience and tradition with innovation and academic knowledge?

We started with the same thinking as many other winemakers: to make a wine that would stand the test of time. Along the way, though, we realised that this variety cannot produce wines like that. Analysing its characteristics, we saw that it can make alternative, easy-going wines to be enjoyed all year round, even in summer. Famous regions abroad, such as Beaujolais, make exactly this kind of wine with huge commercial success. Why not Cyprus too?

Using carbonic maceration, we created an alternative take on Mavro. Breaking new ground once again, we gave this neglected Cypriot variety a new identity and profile: a refreshing, easy red that is served chilled.

Discover it and enjoy it all year round at 8–10 °C.