Wine world

Vakhis-certified tavernas must also serve local wine, which keeps the traditional theme going nicely, although it can be a bit of an acquired taste. A good tip is to avoid the cheaper brands.

For such a small island, Cyprus produces a lot of wine – 2.5 million litres a year. And it’s been making it for 4,000 years, so it’s the oldest wine-producing country in Europe, according to Pambos Papadopoulos, the manager of the Cyprus Wine Museum just outside Limassol.

The small museum's exhibits include the earthenware pots wine was stored in before oak barrels started to be used in the 12th century, and goblets with holes around the top. The latter were designed to catch out women who dared to drink in public – which wasn’t allowed. If they tried to have a sip, they ended up with telltale wine stains down their front.

There are a lot of small producers making many different kinds of wine on the island. These wineries are mostly to be found between Paphos and Limassol, and many will lay on tastings if you’re passing by.

The most famous Cyprus wine is the sweet Commandaria. Said to be the oldest named wine in the world, it's made from a blend of white xynisteri and red mavro grapes, two of several varieties that are unique to Cyprus. They’re picked and laid out in the sun for 12 days until they're dehydrated, which increases the concentration of the sugars and dictates the alcohol content.

The resulting wine is 15% proof, the highest possible level before wine is labelled sherry and any leftovers are made into the lethal zivania, the Cypriot version of grappa. You can drink it, of course, but I’m told it’s also good as a chest rub if you have a cold. At least that way you’ll still be able to hold a sensible conversation after a couple of measures.