A Paphos wine tasting pours the wines of the hills above Paphos at family wineries in Kathikas, Lemona and Panayia. Find more trip ideas on Greece Tours.
Below we cover the grapes, the wine routes and the way a tasting runs. We compare winery days, monastery days, mountain tours, private tastings and sunset wine, then cover hours, harvest, travel and booking.
What is a Paphos wine tasting?
A Paphos wine tasting is a pour of local wines at a winery in the hills above Paphos. Listings run from a two-hour private tasting to a seven-hour day across three wineries.
Fikardos Winery, a family-owned estate near Paphos, shows the standard pattern. A Paphos wine tasting there offers six wines chosen by the winemaker. Every tasting comes with cheeses, koumoulia village bread, olives and extra virgin olive oil.
The wines come from a district that Cyprus treats as its own wine area. Paphos is one of four areas that the island names for local wine with a geographical indication. The others are Lefkosia, Lemesos and Larnaca. Such a wine takes 85% of its grapes from registered vineyards in the area.
This page sits inside our wider Cyprus tours guide. It covers the Paphos side only: the villages, the grapes, the formats and the booking rules.
Which Paphos wine tasting formats can you book?
The listings split into a winery visit, a wine and monastery day and a three-winery hills tour. They also include an Akamas coast tour, a mountain tour, a private tasting at your villa and a sunset experience.
GetYourGuide sets the length of each Paphos wine tasting format. The sunset experiences last 1.5 hours, and the private tasting at home lasts 2 hours. The monastery days last 5 or 6 hours, and the three-winery tour lasts 7 hours. The mountain tours run 8 or 9 hours.
The day tours list hotel pickup. Every GetYourGuide listing named on this page shows free cancellation. A Paphos wine tasting on a day tour is one stop among villages and monasteries. In the private and sunset formats, the tasting is the main event.
Our Paphos tours page compares the wider day trips from the town, if you want sights beyond the wineries.
Where does a Paphos wine tasting happen in the district?
The Paphos wine region spreads across the hills north and east of the town. Visit Cyprus lists seven wine routes on the island. Three of them serve this district: Laona–Akamas, Vouni Panagias–Ambelitis and the Diarizos Valley.
The Laona–Akamas route passes through Paphos, Mesogi, Tsada, Stroumbi and Kathikas and ends in Pegeia. It includes a visit to four wineries. The sea breeze tempers the climate for the Xynisteri white grape.
The Vouni Panagias–Ambelitis route unfolds at an altitude of 800 metres and counts 10 wineries. The Diarizos Valley route, east of Paphos, has 14 hilly villages and two significant wineries. Pick a route first, then pick a Paphos wine tasting that visits it.
Altitude shapes the wine. A wine with a protected designation of origin must come from vineyards above 600 or 750 metres, depending on location. Ezousa Winery in Kannaviou stands at 450 to 700 metres. Kolios Winery stands at about 1,000 metres.
Which Kathikas wineries open their doors for a Paphos wine tasting?
Vasilikon Winery and Sterna Winery both sit in Kathikas, a village on a plateau 23 kilometres north of Paphos. Both farm vineyards at 650 to 700 metres. The village itself sits at 655 metres.
Vasilikon dates to the early nineties, when the brothers Heracles, Georgios and Giannis Kyriakides started the family estate. Its vineyards stand on lime and loamy-gypsum ground. The family leaves out herbicides and relies on rainfall alone.
Sterna calls itself a small, family-owned boutique winery and has operated since the mid-nineties. Its own site names Kathikas the number one wine road in Cyprus. Guided tours there follow the winemaking from vine to bottle. Guests also taste the winery’s selections among the vineyards, so a Paphos wine tasting here has a vineyard setting.
Wikipedia adds that Kathikas is well known for its grape production, including Xynisteri grapes. The village also has an agrotourism industry.
What do Lemona and Statos add to a Paphos wine tasting?
Lemona hosts Tsangarides Winery, a family estate with organic vineyards. Statos–Agios Fotios hosts Kolios Winery on a hilltop at about 1,000 metres. Both estates lie in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains.
Tsangarides Winery calls its estate the largest organic vineyard estate in Cyprus. It invites guests to a wine tasting or a tour. The family counts five generations of winemaking tradition.
Marios Kolios founded Kolios Winery in the late nineties. The winery makes wines from four indigenous grapes: Xinisteri, Spourtiko, Maratheftiko and Mavro. Its cellar holds 16 degrees Celsius all year, and a natural spring flows into it.
Opening hours at Kolios follow the season. From 1 March to 30 September, guests can visit from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm. From 1 October to 28 February, the winery opens from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. A Paphos wine tasting at Kolios fits inside those hours.
What does Panayia village add to a Paphos wine tasting?
Panayia, also called Pano Panayia, is a mountain village at 900 metres. It gives its name to the Vouni Panayias wine zone, and Vouni Panayia Winery stands there. The nearby Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery also runs a winery.
Vouni Panayia is a family-run winery with vineyards at 1,000 metres. A traditional museum and a tasting room welcome guests. WineTourism describes cooler temperatures and mountain breezes that let the grapes ripen slowly. The winery champions indigenous Cypriot varieties.
Monk Ignatius founded Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery in the 12th century. It lies about 40 kilometres north-east of Paphos at 820 metres, 1.5 kilometres from Panayia village. The monastery reopened its old winery in the mid-eighties, and the winery now makes wine from the monastery’s own vineyards.
A Paphos wine tasting in this village area combines a winery, a museum and a monastery cellar. The three-winery tour described below names Vouni Panayia among its stops.
Which grapes appear in a Paphos wine tasting?
Visit Cyprus names Mavro (red) and Xynisteri (white) as the two main local grapes. Maratheftiko, Ofthalmo, Giannoudi and Spourtiko are other local reds. Producers add international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Viognier.
Maratheftiko is the grape to ask about at a Paphos wine tasting. Its vines carry flowers that are not hermaphrodite. The grower must plant other varieties beside them for fruit to set. Ezousa Winery calls it the grape that cannot pollinate itself.
Xynisteri resists vine diseases. Visit Cyprus says it makes pale, light wines with a low alcohol content of 11 to 11.5% by volume. Mavro is a large, juicy red grape. Visit Cyprus says it gives wines of dull colour and a light taste.
Wikipedia records that Cyprus, an island with strict quarantine controls, escaped the phylloxera epidemic. That epidemic struck mainland Europe in the late 19th century. The vines in a Paphos wine tasting grow on an island that stayed free of it.
What flavours do the wines of a Paphos wine tasting show?
Visit Cyprus lists green apple, peach and apricot for the whites of the Vouni Panagias route. It lists red fruit, violets and roses for the Maratheftiko reds. Ezousa Winery names white flowers and peach for its Xynisteri.
Ezousa describes its Giannoudi, a rare indigenous red, with black cherry, wild herbs, soft spice and velvety tannins. The winery says its Xynisteri adds minerality, citrus, green apple and subtle tropical notes. Crisp acidity balances them.
Ezousa also grows the first Viognier planted in Cyprus. Growers hand-harvest it in late August, and it matures six months on the lees. The winery lists apricot, pear and citrus over honeysuckle and vanilla. It calls the wine dry with moderate acidity.
Marios Kolios says his vines grow without irrigation. The grapes stay smaller, with a high concentration of flavours and sugar. That gives the wine full body. The white limestone and the altitude shape the character of each pour at a Paphos wine tasting.
How does a Paphos wine tasting run from the first pour to the cellar?
At Kolios, the guide leads guests into the cellar first. A tasting follows upstairs in the tasting room, and the white wines come first. Fikardos guides its tour through the winemaking area, the barrel area and the cellar.
Fikardos Winery runs the tour with a member of the family as the guide. Tours run at 14:30 and 16:00. The winery takes bookings from 90 days ahead until 1 hour before the slot.
Kolios ages part of its wine in oak barrels from France and Portugal for 18 to 20 months. Its red wines then mature in the cellar for three to six years after bottling.
One published itinerary on WineTourism places an olive oil tasting before the wine. The olive oil warms the stomach and prepares the palate. A Paphos wine tasting then continues with the pours that follow.
Which foods sit beside a Paphos wine tasting?
Cheese, village bread, olives and olive oil come with the tasting at Fikardos. One GetYourGuide tour pairs the wines with halloumi. A WineTourism itinerary adds a meze lunch at a village taverna.
Fikardos also sells cheese platters with meats such as lountza and turkey. The platters add fresh and dried fruit, nuts, olives and village bread with olive paste. They come in four sizes, from 1 to 3 people up to 12 people.
Wikipedia says halloumi is traditionally made from goat and sheep milk. Its high melting point lets cooks fry or grill it. That suits a Paphos wine tasting built around a warm cheese plate.
The 8-hour Gourmet Cyprus tour lists roses, homemade loukoumi, smoked meats and award-winning wines. GetYourGuide labels it a bestseller with pickup available. Its 4.8 rating comes from 40 reviews.
What does a three-winery Paphos wine tasting day include?
The Paphos hills tour on GetYourGuide lasts 7 hours and takes a small group to three wineries. It adds an olive oil farm, a historic monastery and mountain villages, with pickup.
Its web address names Tsangarides, Kolios and Vouni Panayia. The listing carries a New activity label and one review so far. Booking closes 10 hours before the start, and free cancellation applies.
Cyprus Winery Tours publishes a similar route on WineTourism. It runs from Tsangarides in Lemona to the Elaiones Stagona olive farm. It continues to Kolios near Statos–Agios Fotios and a taverna lunch in Amargeti, and ends at Vouni Panayia.
The local operator Paphos Wine Tours offers a half-day tour of 3 to 4 hours. That Paphos wine tasting visits 2 or 3 wineries. It also offers a full-day tour with lunch and a VIP full day with a Cyprus meze lunch. Its main wineries are Fikardos, Kamantarena, Vasilikon and Sterna.
Which monastery days include a Paphos wine tasting?
Two GetYourGuide days pair wine with a monastery. The 5-hour Wine and Halloumi tasting visits a family winery and a historic mountain monastery. The 6-hour Culture, Fresh Bread and Wine day visits Ayios Neophytos Monastery.
The wine and halloumi tour is a small-group trip with pickup, and GetYourGuide places it in Lemona. The summary lists local wines, traditional cheese, a family winery and the mountain monastery. It holds a 4.6 rating from 14 reviews.
The Culture, Fresh Bread and Wine day tours two wineries. It adds a traditional brunch. The monastery lies in Tala, 15 kilometres north of Paphos. The monk Neophytos founded it in the 12th century.
The site holds the Engleistra, a place of seclusion built in a natural cave, with a small chapel. This day tour pairs a Paphos wine tasting at two wineries with that monastery visit.
Can a Paphos wine tasting join the Akamas coast?
Yes. Two GetYourGuide tours add a Paphos wine tasting to the coast. A 6-hour small-group tour covers the Akamas coast, sea caves, the Edro III shipwreck and St George Harbour. It then visits two Kathikas wineries.
GetYourGuide places this first tour in Peyia, and the listing offers pickup. It carries a New activity label and a 10-hour booking cut-off. A second tour is a 6-hour coach trip from Paphos.
The coach tour lists the sea caves, Edro III, Agios Georgios, the Baths of Aphrodite and Polis. It adds local wine tasting, carries a New activity label and has a 5-hour booking cut-off. This Paphos wine tasting comes inside a coast day.
In Wikipedia’s description, the Paphos district reaches the Akamas peninsula in its north-west. The peninsula contains a national park where the green sea turtle is a protected animal. Our Akamas tour page covers the gorge and the bays.
Which mountain tours include a Paphos wine tasting stop?
Mountain tours from Paphos reach wineries in the Troodos foothills. GetYourGuide lists a 9-hour jeep tour with wine tasting, an 8-hour villages tour through Omodos and a private 4×4 safari.
The jeep tour holds a 5-star rating from 735 reviews. It lists historical villages, waterfalls, off-roading, local wine and Aphrodite’s Rock. GetYourGuide marks it with a sell-out warning.
The villages tour visits traditional villages such as Omodos and the birthplace of Aphrodite. It tastes local wines and serves a traditional Cypriot lunch. The private 4×4 safari tastes coffee in Salamiou and sees the Tzelefos Bridge. It serves a picnic under pine trees and visits a local winery.
The wine villages around Omodos have their own page. Our Troodos wine tour guide covers them, so this page stays with the Paphos side. On these mountain days, a Paphos wine tasting is one stop among villages, waterfalls and lunch.
Which Viator listings add a Paphos wine tasting?
Viator lists a family winery tasting near Paphos and a Kourion and Kolossi winery visit from Paphos. It also lists two Troodos mountain tours from Paphos with wine. The cards below link to each listing.
The family winery card is the Fikardos Winery wine tasting and tour, judging by its web address. Fikardos also takes bookings on its own site, as the section on the tasting above shows.
The Kourion card adds Kolossi Castle and a winery to a guided visit from Paphos. One Troodos card includes Kykkos Monastery. The other lists a wine tasting on a mountain tour. Viator files these four cards under Paphos, so each Paphos wine tasting there appears in one list.
Can you book a private Paphos wine tasting at your villa?
Yes. One GetYourGuide listing sends a private sommelier to your villa for a 2-hour tasting of rare boutique Cyprus wines. A half-day tasting for up to 7 people with a local driver runs as a separate listing.
The sommelier, Gergana Nikolova, guides guests through the wine regions and the cuisine of Cyprus. The listing is for a private group and accepts bookings from all over Cyprus. It is wheelchair accessible.
The half-day tasting lasts 5 hours and offers pickup. It is a small-group trip and states a limit of 7 people. The title also promises full air conditioning in the vehicle. Because the title states a limit of 7, a Paphos wine tasting on this listing stays small.
Winedering lists a Troodos Village Venture tour from Paphos for 1 to 7 guests. It reserves places for guests over 18.
Which sunset experiences serve wine on the Paphos coast?
Two GetYourGuide sunset experiences include wine on the Paphos coast. One is a 1.5-hour beach painting session with a complimentary glass of wine. The other is a 1.5-hour romantic picnic by the sea with wine and snacks.
The painting session takes place on a beach in Paphos. Guests create their own artwork while the sun sets over the Mediterranean. GetYourGuide places the listing in the Paphos District. It shows a private group option and a 5-star rating from 7 reviews.
The picnic listing describes a specially prepared romantic activity for couples. It is wheelchair accessible and shows a private group option. A separate couples version of the painting session is listed as Sunset Beach Painting Date with Wine for Couples.
Each of these sessions has a 10-hour booking cut-off. Both list free cancellation. A sunset Paphos wine tasting of this kind is a short, private booking.
When does a Paphos wine tasting run, and what changes at harvest?
Kolios Winery opens from Monday to Saturday through the year, except on holidays. Growers harvest by hand in September and October. Mild winters and hot, dry summers suit the vines of the Laona–Akamas plateau.
At Kolios the grapes are crushed within four hours of picking. Temperature-controlled baths hold the fermentation for two to three weeks. The steep terrain rules out harvesting machines. A Paphos wine tasting in September or October coincides with the hand harvest.
Winedering adds that spring and early summer bring blooms and fresh mountain air on the plateau. Harvest arrives from late summer into early autumn.
Cyprus Spirit says wineries in the district run harvest events in September and October. They announce them on social media. Ezousa posts a Maratheftiko harvest note from Kannaviou dated 6 October. Winedering advises an extra layer on its mountain tour from October to late spring, because the weather turns cold.
How do you travel safely to and from a Paphos wine tasting?
Cyprus sets the legal limit at 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The police state a blood limit of 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres. Traffic keeps to the left, and the day tours include pickup.
Kolios lies a 35-minute drive north-east of Paphos. Line 636 runs between Paphos and Statos–Agios Fotios. The walk from that stop to Kolios takes a little under 20 minutes.
Panayia village lies 35 minutes from Paphos International Airport, according to Wikipedia. Plan a Paphos wine tasting around these drive times.
Cyprus Spirit describes a self-driven half-day circuit from Paphos through Tsada and Kathikas, back via Pegeia. It covers 60 to 80 kilometres in four to five hours with two winery stops. Visit Cyprus advises checking opening times with each winery.
Cyprus Spirit advises booking a guided tour or a driver. That advice applies to anyone who plans more than a token pour at each stop of a Paphos wine tasting. Our Paphos transfers page covers airport rides and group vehicles.
How do you book a Paphos wine tasting and what do you bring?
Each listing sets its own booking cut-off. The Troodos jeep tour closes 45 minutes before the start, and the wine and halloumi tour closes 10 hours before. GetYourGuide shows the cut-off on each listing card.
Winedering advises comfortable shoes and cash, because not every host or village shop accepts card payments. It also recommends a light breakfast and a reusable water bottle. Bring an extra layer in the cooler months.
Before a Paphos wine tasting, tell the operator about allergies and diets in the booking notes. Winedering adapts its itinerary for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free guests. It sends the exact pickup time on the afternoon before. Guests contact the provider if no message arrives by 20:00.
Groups of 12 or more reach Fikardos Winery through its contact form. A Paphos wine tasting for a large party needs that step in advance.
What do travellers ask about a Paphos wine tasting?
Can children join a Paphos wine tasting?
Fikardos admits children under 18 to its winery tour free of charge. A villa-rental guide says Tsangarides Winery welcomes visitors of all ages.
Is there a wine festival near Paphos?
Visit Cyprus lists the annual Lemesos Wine Festival. It is a ten-day event at the end of August and the start of September. Cyprus Spirit says Paphos has no wine festival on that scale, only a village grape festival in Kathikas in September.
Does Paphos town show any wine history?
The House of Dionysos in Nea Paphos dates to the 3rd century AD. A panel in its west portico shows Dionysos, Akme, Ikarios and the First Wine Drinkers. Another panel shows the Triumph of Dionysos.
Can you buy bottles after a Paphos wine tasting?
Cyprus Spirit says small Paphos producers sell their wine mainly at home. A purchase at the winery is the reliable route. It advises packing bottles in checked luggage, because carry-on liquids are limited to 100 millilitres. Fikardos also lets guests order a glass or a bottle after the tasting.
Which languages do Paphos wine tastings use?
Winedering’s mountain tour from Paphos runs in Greek and English. Paphos Wine Tours says it can customise any trip it offers to the needs of the group.
How far are the nearest wine villages?
Cyprus Spirit places Stroumbi, Tsada, Kathikas and Pegeia 20 to 40 minutes from Paphos. The drive to Tsada takes about 20 minutes.