Cypriot Wine Brand

About 40 of the smaller Cypriot wine producers on 12 July unveiled a new strategy under which their products will be marketed at home and abroad under the collective brand name Oinos Kyprou ("Wine of Cyprus"), emphasizing the historic authenticity and distinctiveness of local grape varieties.

Based on extensive research by the Intercollege School of Business (Dr Demetris Vrontis, Dean of the School of Business is the Scientific Investigator) and Mesarites Brand Builders Ltd (Andreas Mesarites is a project partner), the new brand is an initiative of the Bacchus Association, representing small Cypriot wineries producing 3 million bottles a year. The research found that if the right steps are taken the local wine industry has substantial potential to expand and develop.


Moves to obtain patent for halloumi cheese

The House of Representatives' Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on 13 July initiated moves to achieve the “top priority” of securing an internationally recognized patent for Cyprus' famous halloumi cheese, to prevent other countries marketing similar products under that name.

Although Cyprus has secured trade mark protection for halloumi in several key markets, including Britain and the USA, recent modifications to EU regulations have impelled producers in third countries such as Denmark, Lebanon and Turkey to make applications for patents for their so-called “halloumi cheese”. Halloumi is made in Cyprus from sheep's or a combination of sheep’s and goats' milk House Committee Chairman Yiannakis Thoma explained that, faced with this challenge, Cyprus needed to enact legislation to comply with EU requirements for a competent patent authority able to enforce agreed national standards for the production of the cheese. “We believe”, declared Mr Thoma, “that patenting halloumi has great economic importance for the producers and for Cyprus in general”.