EPISODE 01 · WINE TALK · ELIPACK PODCAST
Vasilikon Winery: 30+ Years of Family Heritage from Kathikas
A conversation with Yiannis Kyriakides, Co-founder & Winemaker at Vasilikon Winery
🍇 Kathikas, Paphos
🏛️ Established 1993
🎙️ Episode 1
20
Apr
Vasilikon Winery: 30+ Years of Family Heritage from Kathikas
About This Episode
Welcome to the first episode of the Elipack Podcast, a new series of conversations with the people shaping the Cypriot wine industry. In this episode we travel to Kathikas in Paphos and sit down with Yiannis Kyriakides, one of the three founders of Vasilikon Winery.
Together with his brothers Giorgos and Iraklis, Yiannis launched the winery in 1993 around one non-negotiable principle that still holds today: wines made exclusively from their own vineyards. More than three decades later, Vasilikon remains family-run, home to some of the largest barrels in Cyprus and an underground cellar dug 14 metres into the earth.
A conversation about origins, grape varieties, harvest, family succession, packaging, and the future of Cypriot wine.
In Kathikas, a village where 90–95% of all vineyards are planted with Xinisteri, three brothers returned home from studies in America and Thessaloniki and decided to do the most natural thing: make wine from what was growing all around them. Yiannis Kyriakides walks us through the early struggles, his mentor Mr. Andreas Fragos of the Viticulture Department, the move from the old to the new winery, and the thinking behind every grape variety on the estate.
Before you watch the full interview, here's what this episode covers, from the story behind the golden eagle logo to Yiannis's advice for young producers thinking of starting a winery today.
🏛️ The Origins: 1993, Three Brothers & a Dream
"I started the company with two other people in 1993," Yiannis recalls. "Basically three brothers: myself, Giorgos and Iraklis. The idea came naturally because we were surrounded by vineyards. When we all returned home from our studies (I was in America, my two brothers in Thessaloniki) we met back in Cyprus and decided to build a winery and produce wines only from our own vineyards."
The early struggles were many, technical know-how above all. His brother Iraklis had taken courses at the Viticulture Department, and it was there that the brothers met the man who would become the winery's unofficial mentor: Mr. Andreas Fragos. "We could call him any time of day, we'd phone him and ask what to do. He was an enormous help. You could even call him the founder of the first modern wineries in Cyprus."
🦅 The Story Behind the Golden Eagle
Vasilikon's iconic logo is no coincidence. "Before we started in 1993, we commissioned the label from a young designer in Limassol," Yiannis explains. "We told her that the area around the winery was home to golden eagles, a species native to Cyprus with yellow, almost golden wings. So when we launched, the eagle in our logo was golden."
Three decades on, the eagle remains. "We've refined the logo over the years, but we've always kept the eagle on every one of our wines, on every label."
📋 The Pillars of Quality: From Most to Least Important
Asked which element matters most for a great wine, Yiannis didn't hesitate: "The vineyard. The most important. Number one." The priority order that follows reveals the winery's philosophy:
Vasilikon's cellar sits 14 metres below ground, with cooling around the barrels when needed and naturally stable humidity.
📅 The Harvest: A Three-Month Marathon
Vasilikon vinifies both Cypriot and international grape varieties, which means the harvest runs for at least three months, with no working hours and no weekends off.
☀️ JulyLate July kicks off with Sauvignon Blanc, a short, intense window of 2–3 days.
🔥 AugustCabernet Sauvignon & Syrah: the international varieties come in first.
🍇 SeptemberXinisteri, Lefkada, Maratheftiko: the indigenous varieties step forward.
🍂 OctoberClosing out the harvest, although every vintage is different, dictated by the weather.
"We start at 6 a.m. We might finish at 4, we might finish at 10 at night. It depends. A harvest is a harvest."
👨👩👧👦 The Next Generation
In recent years, the next generation has moved actively into the winery. "My son, my daughter and my niece, all three are oenologists," Yiannis says with obvious pride. Alongside them, the winery's resident oenologist, Afroditi, has been part of the team since 2011–12.
"It's a fundamental factor," he explains, "because it gives the winery continuity. At some point we'll want a little rest, and my role needs to pass on to either my son, or my daughter, or my niece. Or all three of them together."
📦 Packaging & Partners: The Elipack Role
"The bottle and the label play a huge role," Yiannis emphasises. "A customer buys the wine for the label the first time, but the wine itself has to be good for them to come back a second time." Choosing the bottle, closure, and label is never left to chance; it's a job for professionals.
At Vasilikon, the partnership with Elipack goes back decades. "Elipack is the strongest company in Cyprus when it comes to bottles, machinery, closures, barrels, and especially service. The support side is critical. Sakis is an exceptional engineer; he'll come to the winery to solve your problem at any hour, even on a Sunday during harvest."
"Whatever machine they sell you, there's backup behind it. And that, when you're in the middle of a harvest, is priceless."
💡 Advice for New Producers
"I wouldn't tell them not to do it," Yiannis answers when asked what message he'd give someone starting out today. "But I would tell them: do your market research. Look at what's happening with imported wines, with vineyards, with grapes. Run a proper check first, and then launch."
✅ Consistency"Don't have a good year followed by a bad one. You need to be consistent in quality."
✅ Identity"Give your winery a direction, a distinct identity people will recognise."
✅ Old Vines"If you have old vines, make your wine from old vines; build a story."
✅ Great Presentation"Good marketing, quality bottles, a professional look: they're non-negotiable."
🌍 Vasilikon Exports
Today, Vasilikon wines reach six international markets, but the winery has no plans to expand exports further, in order not to compromise its commitments to the domestic market.
🇨🇳 China
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇩🇪 Germany
🇮🇹 Italy
"If we export more than 30%, we'll start having problems serving the Cypriot market. We want to stay present internationally and reliable at home."
🍷 How to Enjoy an Aged Wine
If you find a 15 to 20 year-old bottle in your cupboard (or buy one from a winery), Yiannis has clear guidance:
- Storage: a cellar at 12–16°C with stable humidity is ideal; temperature is the single most important preservation factor.
- Opening: serve at the correct temperature. For reds, decant to aerate or simply open the bottle an hour before drinking.
- Enjoyment: an aged wine unfolds different aromas: wood, chocolate, coffee in reds; more complex tertiary notes in whites.
- Relax: you don't need to be an expert, just enough appreciation to feel the difference from a young wine.
🍇 Visit Vasilikon Winery
The winery welcomes visitors for wine tasting and food, small and large groups alike. For larger groups, booking in advance is recommended.
📍 Kathikas, Paphos, Cyprus
Building Your Own Winery?
From grape reception to bottling, the Elipack team is with you every step of the way, with machinery, bottles, closures, barrels and 24/7 service. Exactly as it's been with Vasilikon for decades.
🎙️ Elipack Podcast, Episode 01 · Guest: Yiannis Kyriakides, Vasilikon Winery · Kathikas, Paphos · vasilikonwinery.com
