Mystes winery offers a range of bottles true to its terroir

There are many ways to explore Cyprus but few of them are more enjoyable than driving as a wine lover to a winery. You form a relationship with the territory, the wine you taste, the people you are with and the ones you meet, always in the name of authenticity and Mediterranean warmth.

If you are driving to Archimandrita village to Mystes Winery for a tasting, I urge you to stop for a moment. The thick pine forest is all around you, look at the tall, wind turbines of the wind farm, the blue sky, the village and its surrounding vineyards. Thoughts of wine and love come to mind, culture and tradition, history. After all they have been allies for many centuries.

Loucas Papaloucas feels this bond. He loves Archimandrita and he loves these vineyards, interpreting them in his wines. Wine for Loucas is a journey for which he prepares, studies, waits and that never ends, giving him different colours and flavours in every vintage and enriching the experience of working in the cellar.

He followed in the footsteps of his father, but adopted a style that blends classic and contemporary wine-making techniques; cutting-edge equipment and meticulous processes paired with hands-on and minimalistic winemaking techniques. His philosophy is to produce wines that express the land’s unique terroir, the fruit and dirt lead the way.

He believes the vineyards fundamentally drive the direction the wine will go in. After working year after year in the vineyard, you learn how it best expresses itself, and you play to its natural strengths. The results are wines that are fruit driven with good structure. He strives to strike a balance between the powerful fruits the region can deliver and create wines with an elegant style.

We tasted the new vintages now available on the market.

2025 Mystes Winery Chardonnay, PGI Pafos, ABV 13%

To vinify this wine, Loucas uses a pneumatic press loaded with whole grapes, taking only the free-run juice. Fermentation is at a low temperature using selected yeast, keeping the varietal character. He matures only 80 per cent in oak barrels for six months with fine lees giving aromatic potential. This rich flavourful and radiant Chardonnay leaps from the glass with enticing aromas of nectarine, lemongrass, pear blossom, white peach, citrus and caramelised pineapple. The citrus and stone fruit layers echo the silky palate, where flavours of white peach, lemon zest and vanilla flow to a bright and zesty finish. This oaky Chardonnay pairs best with lighter meat and buttery dishes like Caesar salad, prawn saganaki, halloumi and mint ravioli or fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and light cream. €17.50

2025 Mystes Winery Orange, ABV 12%

An orange Xynisteri from vineyards in Archimandrita that is wild fermented. Unfiltered, this orange wine is crafted through three to four weeks of maceration on the skins and aged on lees, offering aromatics of fresh cut grass, herbal notes, orange blossom, lemon and yellow apple and tropical jackfruit in the background. The palate is moderately tannic with notes of dried citrus peel, tea and preserved apricot layered over a yeasty, textured profile with a grapefruity finish. Its rich aromas and tannins will perfectly complement aperitifs with friends, Asian cuisine and cheese platters. €24

2022 Mystes Winery Promara, P.G.I. Pafos, ABV 13%

A remarkable variety with less intervention and with a focus on indigenous varieties. Spontaneous fermentations and the wine is unfiltered. Ageing helps to create a wine with complexity. Light golden straw in colour, with aromas of mandarin blossom, peach, nectarine, apricot, lemon and flowers. Medium-bodied with balanced and creamy acidity alongside flavours of orange, peach and mango sorbet with a touch of herbs. Long and rich on the finish, it is best enjoyed with grilled fish and light spicy sauce, salmon sashimi, chicken with light creamy sauce or roast turkey. €24

2024 Mystes Winery Giannoudi Rosé, P.G.I Pafos, ABV 14%

This wine started as an experiment using indigenous yeast and less intervention with no filtering. The result is a gastro rosé. It displays aromas of pomegranate, red fruit and citrus, spring flowers, iodine and crushed stones, spice followed by a flesh core of fruit followed by calcareous finish. It is going to drink nicely in its youth but could easily age well over the next two to five years. Try grilled fish such as sea bass, salmon fillet or tuna, ratatouille or spaghetti with courgettes and toasted almond. €26

2018 Mystes Winery Maratheftiko, P.G.I. Pafos, ABV 13%

Α classic red that better develops each year. Classic red wine vinification with both fermentation and malolactic fermentation completed in the tank, while the wine is kept for 12 months in French oak. If you like a robust red this will not disappoint. On the nose, generous aromatics of black cherries and plums followed by cedar, dried cranberries and blackberries, Mouthfeel has flavours of dark chocolate, pine nuts and dried thyme. Enjoy with grilled or roast chicken, beef stew, beef fajitas or grilled lamb chops. €20

2022 Mystes Winey Giannoudi – Maratheftiko, ABV 15%

A popular blend nowadays, the wine is a result of spontaneous fermentation and undergoes malolactic fermentation. It has a crimson colour with aromas of dark berries like blackberry, currant and cassis, violet and some baking spice. On tasting, there is a silky texture and a juicy dark fruit – black cherry and blackberry flavours that echo aromas with a rich apple acidity and lengthy finish. Perfect with roast pork and rich pasta dishes, roast turkey and classic cheeseburger. €24

Mystes Winery, Pano Archimandrita, Tel: 99 261145, www.mysteswinery.com