Cyprus Sommeliers Association

21/05/2026

🍇 Happy International Chardonnay Day! ✨🥂

May 21st celebrates the world's most versatile white grape! Created by Rick Bakas in 2009 to boost wine sales post-recession, this day honours the "winemaker's favourite"—a grape born from Pinot Noir x Gouais Blanc.

The Chameleon Grape 🎭 From Burgundy's Mâconnais region (literally "place of thistles"), Chardonnay's superpower is adaptability. It's the ultimate blank canvas—expressing terroir, climate, and winemaking like no other grape. Crisp & mineral or rich & buttery? Both are Chardonnay!

The Two Faces 🍷 Unoaked/Stainless Steel: Crisp acidity, green apple, citrus, mineral (think Chablis) Oaked/MLF: Creamy, buttery, vanilla, toast notes (classic California)

Global Expressions 🌍
🇫🇷 Burgundy: The spiritual home! Chablis (north) = steely minerality, zero oak. Côte de Beaune = balanced richness with elegance. Terroir is everything here.
🇫🇷 Champagne: One of three base grapes; sole grape in Blanc de Blancs!
🇺🇸 California: Revolutionized Chardonnay! After Chateau Montelena's 1973 won the 1976 Judgment of Paris, the world changed. Sonoma Coast & Russian River = Burgundian elegance. Napa = ripe, opulent richness.
🇺🇸 Oregon: Cool-climate precision with bright acidity
🇦🇺 Australia: Margaret River & Adelaide Hills deliver stone fruit intensity with finesse
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Hawke's Bay (the spiritual home of NZ Chard!) = structured, age-worthy. Marlborough = vibrant, citrus-driven
🇿🇦 South Africa: Walker Bay & Elgin = elegant, mineral expressions
🇨🇱 Chile: Casablanca & Limarí = coastal-cooled freshness
🇦🇷 Argentina: Mendoza's high-altitude Chardonnays = crisp acidity, mineral backbone

Iconic Bottles 🏆 • Domaine Leflaive (Burgundy legend) • Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne • William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru • Kistler (Sonoma cult favorite) • Ramey Wine Cellars (California benchmark) • Kongsgaard (unfiltered pioneer) • Kumeu River (NZ's Burgundian master)

Which Chardonnay are you drinking this season? Let us know! 😉

🍷💛

24/04/2026

21/04/2026

Congratulations to our member Genadi Stefanov
!!!!👏👏👏

15/03/2026

Το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο των CY Somms σας προσκαλεί στην Ετήσια Γενική Συνέλευση στις 18 Μαρτίου 2026 στην αίθουσα εκδηλώσεων του Ναυτικού Ομίλου Λεμεσού στις 16:30.
Παράκληση προς τα μέλη μας για αθρόα προσέλευση στην Γενική μας Συνέλευση.
Με την λήξη των εργασιών της Γενικής Συνέλευσης θα ακολουθήσει δείπνο στο εστιατόριο Fat Fish.
Παρακαλώ κάντε έγκαιρα την κράτηση σας.

17/02/2026

13/02/2026

🌹 SOMMELIER'S GUIDE: Top 10 Valentine's Day Wines & Why They Sell 💕

Tomorrow's the day! Here's what's flying off shelves worldwide and why these bottles capture hearts:

1. Champagne & Fine Sparkling Wines 🥂 The universal celebration wine. Traditional méthode champenoise delivers fine persistent mousse, crisp acidity, and elegant complexity. Sparkling rosé adds romantic pink hues that resonate with Valentine's aesthetics. Effervescence symbolizes joy and special moments.

2. Pinot Noir 🍷 The "romantic red" consistently tops Valentine's sales globally. Silky texture, red fruit aromatics, and food versatility make it ideal for candlelit dinners. From Burgundian finesse to New World expressions—this grape embodies seduction and sophistication.

3. Rosé (Still & Sparkling) 🌹 Pink tones feel intentional for February 14th, driving both sales and social media appeal. Balance of fresh fruit, crisp acidity, and romantic symbolism. Pairs beautifully with lighter fare—oysters, sushi, charcuterie—offering refined approachability.

4. Saint-Amour & Beaujolais 💕 Wines literally named after love see thematic appeal. Saint-Amour from Beaujolais offers approachable fruitiness, lower alcohol, and fun pairing versatility across multiple courses. The name alone drives Valentine's gift purchases.

5. Brunello di Montalcino 🇮🇹 Age-worthy Tuscan classics chosen when couples treat Valentine's as a significant event. Depth, structure, and cultural prestige make these memorable and gift-worthy. Pairs with rich tomato sauces, braised meats, slow-cooked preparations.

6. Premium Sparkling Alternatives ✨ Crémant, Cava, and quality traditional-method sparklers offer celebration without Champagne pricing. Creamy mousse, floral aromatics, excellent value under €30-50. Perfect for dessert pairings and social sharing.

7. Cool-Climate Chardonnay 🍋 Refined barrel-aged expressions with citrus, brioche complexity provide elegant contrast to richer dishes. Signals thoughtfulness for white wine lovers. Exceptional with seafood, creamy pastas, aged cheeses.

8. Iconic Collectible Wines 🌟 Growing trend toward shareable stories—prestigious estates, rare bottlings, wines with personal significance. These purchases focus on memorable experiences and cultural narratives worth celebrating together.

9. Cerasuolo & Structured Rosé 🍇 Deeper-colored, more textured rosé styles offer gastronomic pairing potential beyond traditional rosé. Exciting for those seeking nuance and complexity. Pairs unexpectedly well with herb-crusted meats, olives, robust preparations.

10. Dessert & Semi-Sweet Wines 🍫 Noble sweet wines and lightly sweet styles pair beautifully with chocolate-based desserts—a core Valentine's category. The sweet symbolism extends the evening's pleasure while complementing the final course.

The Pattern? Romance in a bottle—pink hues, love-evoking names, celebratory bubbles. Visual appeal drives social content, while versatility and giftability create meaningful moments worth sharing.

09/02/2026

🍷📚 The ASI 2026 exam season is officially starting, offering sommeliers and future sommeliers several pathways to grow, learn, and gain international recognition. 🌍✨

🗓️ What’s on the calendar this year?
• 🥇 ASI Diploma – 9 March 2026
• 🌱 ASI Prep (NEW!) – available from February 2026
• 📝 ASI Certification 1 – available in 2026
• 🚀 ASI Certification 2 – available from early September 2026

Whether you’re taking your first step into sommellerie or aiming to advance your professional credentials, ASI exams offer a structured, globally recognised education pathway — all organised through your national sommelier association.

👉 Interested in sitting one of the ASI exams?

📩 Contact your national sommelier association for registration details and local exam schedules.

🔗 Full details on exams, rules & pathways:
👉 https://www.asi.info/exams/

Your ASI journey starts — or continues — here. 🍾✨

24/01/2026

Date: January 29 🕐 Time: 11:30📍 Location: Punin Wine tasting room Georgiou A 65-67 Germasogeia 4047 Limassol

We invite CY Somms members, professionals from the wine, gastronomy, and hospitality industries to an exclusive B2B tasting of Edouard Delaunay wines—a historic Maison from Burgundy.

During the tasting export manager Mr. Eric Remlinger will present a curated collection of premium wines and will talk about the region, grape varieties, and specific production characteristics of each wine.

📍 Punin Wine Tasting room, Georgiou A 65-67 Germasogia 4047 Limassol
🆓 Free entry — booking required via DM or please call for reservation
🗓 January 29 | 11:30 AM

24/01/2026

Date: January 28 🕐 Time: 11:00📍 Location: SENTIO Restaurant Stasandrou 13, 1060 Nicosia

We invite CY Somms members, professionals from the wine, gastronomy, and hospitality industries from Nicosia area to an exclusive B2B tasting of Edouard Delaunay wines—a historic Maison from Burgundy.

During the tasting export manager Mr. Eric Remlinger will present a curated collection of premium wines and will talk about the region, grape varieties, and specific production characteristics of each wine.

📍 Sentio Restaurant | Stasandrou 13 1060 Nicosia
🆓 Free entry — booking required via DM or please call for reservation
🗓 January 28 | 11:00AM