For four generations, the Makarounas family has cultivated grapes in the village of Letymbou near Pafos. After completing his studies in Enology and Viticulture at the University of California at Davis, Theodoros Makarounas recently added a new element to the family business: winemaking. In 2016, he opened the Makarounas Boutique Winery, forming the only winery in Cyprus sourcing grapes completely from its private vineyards. You can visit the winery to tour its operations and sample its output. Theodoros will bring you into the vineyard and explain how they nurture the grapes. Then you enter the winery and discover the process of making wine. You will see the grape pressing machine, the fermentation tanks, and the aging tanks. Learn how acacia and oak barrels flavour the wine. Theodoros can also explain how timing and temperature control is adjusted for each wine. Head to the cellar to see how the wines are bottled, labelled, sealed, and packaged. At the end of the tour, you can sample the wines. These include single-vineyard productions of varieties endemic to Cyprus, such as maratheftiko and morokanella, and blends like the Minthy rosé (lefkada and cabernet franc) and the En Archi red (cabernet franc and syrah). The winery is still very much a family business, with Theordoros’s siblings, parents, and grandparents playing active roles. Their 17 hectares of vineyards support the production of 50,000 bottles of wine per year. Try Makarounas wine at Anassa or contact Guest Services to arrange your bespoke tour.
