Wine connoisseurs have gathered in Limassol to sample 145 wines from 30 Cypriot wineries over the course of four days, as the 16th Cyprus Wine Competition gets underway to find the best in the categories of dry, semidry and semisweet wines, and sweet wines, according to the Cyprus Mail.

The competition is held under the auspices of the Agriculture Ministry, Cyprus's EU presidency, and the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), reflecting both the national and international significance attached to the event.

At a press conference on Monday, Agriculture Ministry permanent secretary Andreas Gregoriou underlined the government's commitment to the sector.

"Investing in quality, tradition and the uniqueness of Cypriot agricultural products, such as our wines, is a priority for the government,"
he said.

Judging will be carried out by a seven-member panel of international and local experts. Heading the committee is Dominique Tusseau, a French oenologist appointed as chairman. The panel also includes oenologists Mariam Khomasuridze from Georgia and Marin Berovic from Slovenia, alongside sommeliers Pierre Vila Palleja from France and Maria Massoura from Cyprus.

A Showcase for the Local Industry

The competition highlights the depth and diversity of Cyprus's winemaking landscape. Limassol, which serves as the host city, is surrounded by wine villages where generations of producers have preserved and refined local viniculture traditions. Mayor Yiannis Armeftis has been among those welcoming the event to the city, which has long been considered the heartland of Cypriot wine production.

With 30 wineries entering a combined 145 wines, the scale of this year's competition underscores the vitality of an industry that balances ancient heritage with modern winemaking techniques. The breadth of entries — spanning dry, semidry, semisweet and sweet varieties — reflects the range of styles now being produced across the island.

Awards Ceremony on Friday

Category winners will be announced and recognised at a dedicated awards ceremony on Friday evening at Opus One Venue in Limassol, bringing the four-day judging process to a formal close and spotlighting the producers whose wines earned top marks from the expert panel.