A couple of weeks ago the family decided to go on a day trip, attracted by the thought of some more winedrinking or rather winetasting, so on a sultry Sunday afternoon we found ourselves meandering on the foothills of the Paphian mountains passing vineyards and little villages, our destination a little vague but in the end we chanced upon it.
Imagine a place high up in the Paphian hilltops when all you hear is an odd tractor going pass, where the view is breathtaking and the air fresh and cool. This is where we ended up on a late Sunday afternoon, the name of the winery, Vouni Panayia. The owner Kyrios Andreas greeted us with the warmth and hospitality of a true Cypriot, offering us freshly cut grapes and pears, all grown on his land. With our Greek coffees we were given "shoushouko," a sweet delicacy made from the grape juice which is boiled with a little flour until it is a thick liquid. On pieces of string, almonds are threaded and then dipped several times into the mixture, left to dry, and then you have shoushouko. It is a pleasant snack, accompanied with a coffee.
Then came the winetasting. The winery is a popular destination for many tourists who taste the wines and are given a tour of the winery and the procedure for making the wine.We tried most of the wines, liking especially the dry white Alina wine and the Pampela rose wine all washed down with traditionally made cheese.In the meantime Kyrie Andreas' sister prepared a bucketful of grapes to take back with us.
Next came the grand tour accompanied by Danny the labrador who had delighted us already with his enthusiasm. Danny followed us round the winery, as Kyrie Andrea explained the fermenting and bottling processes and poignantly showed us the old and battered wine press he had used when he first started out "when all we had were our dreams," he said. His winery is a success story. He had a vision, a clear idea of what he wanted to create and he succeeded in carrying it out despite the odds. The winery has become well-known and popular with both Cypriots and tourists and the peace that surrounds the place is what a lot of people notice, including ourselves. This humourously led Kyrie Andrea to say that when he goes into Paphos town and sees the traffic lights, he knows that he's gone too far into the concrete jungle, and he heads home.
It was with a heavy heart when it drew to evening and we had to leave, back to the motorways, cars and noise, back to reality. Sometimes I think we have all forgotten what life is all about. Everyone is so preoccupied with image and money with keeping up appearances. Visiting this little winery was a refreshing and much needed change away at least for a few hours from the chaos that seems to envelope our lives on a daily basis. I recommend this little winery, when you need a break and a reminder of what's really important. You can visit their website www.vounipanayiawinery.com for more information.
