Rediscovering Cyprus: Nelion Winery and Enoiteca Edition Finesse

Sometimes, one wine is enough to change the way you see a place. For Christoph Heckenbuecker, chef and owner of Enoiteca Edition Finesse, that wine was Nelion’s Ofthalmo.

Its complexity and distinctive guava notes made an immediate impression and sparked the collaboration that will bring Nelion Winery’s wines to the restaurant’s table this September.

But the story behind the wine begins much further from the restaurant, in the steep vineyards of Cyprus’s Diarizos Valley.

Founded in 1996, Nelion Winery began with a straightforward ambition: to make honest wines that reflected its family, its land, and Cyprus’ traditions. The aim was never to become the biggest producer, but a winery known for quality and authenticity. 

Nearly three decades later, that philosophy has become more focused, not less. Rather than chasing international trends, Nelion has increasingly invested in understanding Cyprus’s indigenous varieties, particularly Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and Ofthalmo.

Marinos Ioannou, oenologist, winemaker, and owner of Nelion Winery, says the philosophy comes down to two words: Xynisteri Redefined.

“It is not about changing the identity of the grape, but revealing just how expressive and sophisticated it can be,” the winery explains.

Wine shaped by the land 

A vineyard is not simply where the wine begins; at least that’s what Nelion Winery believes. It is where much of its identity is decided.

The winery’s vineyards lie in the Diarizos Valley, where steep limestone slopes, poor soils, altitude, and a Mediterranean climate naturally limit yields. Many of the vineyards cannot be fully mechanized and are cultivated by hand, a demanding approach that has earned Nelion recognition for its adherence to the principles of “heroic viticulture.”

The conditions are challenging, but that close relationship between grower and vine gives the wines their character.

“Every bottle carries the character of its landscape before it carries the signature of the winemaker,” Marinos says. The challenging conditions produce grapes with natural concentration, freshness and balance.

Nelion’s commitment to organic viticulture reflects its belief that exceptional wine begins with healthy vineyards. For the winery, sustainability and quality go hand in hand.

The result is a winemaking approach based on restraint. The role of the winemaker is not to impose a style on the vineyard, but to guide the wine with as little unnecessary intervention as possible.

“If someone can picture the vineyards, the landscape and the passion behind the bottle,” he says, “then we have achieved something meaningful.”

Xynisteri reflects Nelion’s ambition

For those discovering Nelion for the first time, its wines offer a particularly interesting introduction to Cyprus’s indigenous varieties.

The 2RIZES Xynisteri reflects the winery’s ambition for the island’s flagship white grape, while the MELETSES Xynisteri demonstrates how the variety can develop greater complexity and longevity through careful lees ageing, a process that allows the wine to mature on its spent yeast. The Ofthalmo and Maratheftiko, meanwhile, reveal the depth and individuality of Cyprus’s indigenous reds. Together, these wines capture Nelion’s approach: respecting tradition while continually finding new ways to express the potential of Cyprus’s native varieties.

This Ofthalmo first caught Christoph’s attention.

“Ofthalmo made me know Nelion,” he says. “It is not only unique on the market as a variety but also a very interesting wine. It is very complex, with hints of guava; it made me fall in love with it right away.”

That discovery has found its way onto the 12th September menu.

Wine meets the kitchen again

The collaboration between Nelion and Edition Finesse rests on a simple principle: neither the food nor the wine should overpower the other.

For Christoph, the wines set the menu’s direction. He noticed a natural affinity between Nelion’s wines and the flavours of Italian cuisine, leading to a central course of pappardelle with Parmesan and truffles.

The pairing with Ofthalmo is one he is particularly looking forward to.

September also plays a role. As the season moves into peak truffle time, the ingredient becomes a natural centrepiece for the menu, and an opportunity to explore what happens when an indigenous Cypriot wine meets one of Europe’s most prized culinary ingredients.

But the Ofthalmo will not be the only wine challenging expectations.

Christoph believes Nelion’s Xynisteri may surprise guests just as much, particularly those who have never considered how beautifully the variety can age.

“For me, Nelion proves that you can age Xynisteri wonderfully,” he says.

The dinner is more than an opportunity to taste a selection of wines; it invites guests to discover what Cypriot wine can do alongside seasonal, internationally inspired cuisine.

Read our July feature with Zambartas Winery.

A place on the international stage

For Nelion, the ambition extends beyond individual bottles.

Marinos sees Cyprus as home to “one of the world’s great untold wine stories” and believes its role is to show that indigenous varieties can compete internationally because they are genuinely good.

Christoph shares that belief, too.

Having traveled extensively and hosted international guests at his dinners, he sees these collaborations as an opportunity to place Cypriot wine within a broader culinary conversation. As boutique wineries have raised the quality and ambition of local winemaking, he believes the next step is for international wine lovers, and eventually collectors, to take greater notice.

And when they do, he hopes they discover the cuisine alongside the wine.

He recalls drinking Nelion at his friends’ restaurant, To Patriko, where he found the wine-and-food pairing an “absolute international top standard.”

He hopes this September’s dinner achieves the same.

The evening’s most interesting promise is not that guests will discover a new wine, but that they will experience a different understanding of Cyprus. A Cyprus where indigenous varieties, ambitious cuisines, and the character of the island’s landscape, as represented by its wines, belong confidently at the same table.

For Nelion, that journey began with the land. At Edition Finesse, it continues with what happens when that land meets the plate.

For reservations for the 12 September event in Maroni, call 99673453

About Nelion Winery

Founded in 1996 by Marinos Ioannou, Nelion Winery is a family-owned boutique winery in Cyprus’s Diarizos Valley. Rooted in the character of its vineyards and indigenous varieties such as Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and Ofthalmo, the winery focuses on authenticity, organic viticulture and minimal intervention. Its philosophy, “Xynisteri Redefined,” reflects its drive to showcase the potential of Cyprus’s native grapes while staying true to their origins.