🍇 Maratheftiko

Maratheftiko is a red wine grape of Cyprus with only female flowers, so it needs other varieties planted beside it for pollination. According to VIVC (no. 7374) it comes from Cyprus, its parents are not established, and in 2010 there were 178 ha of it. In several Cypriot PDO zones the red wine may be at least 85% Maratheftiko or Ofthalmo.

VIVC records black berry colour, a female flower type, complete seed formation and use for both wine and the table; it lists 14 synonyms, among them Vambakadha, Pambakada and Mavrospourtiko. A 2020 study showed that the variety's stamens are reflexed, so self-pollination is impossible, and that the vine tolerates drought. The name Vamvakada is linked to a white, cottony coating on the back of the leaf. The researchers describe its wines as red, full-bodied, with soft tannins and unique aromas.

In Laona Akamas, six villages in the north-west of the island, red wines have to contain at least 85% Maratheftiko or Ofthalmo. In Pitsilia, in the Wine Villages of Limassol and in Vouni Panayias – Ambelitis, over 800 m above sea level, another route is allowed: at least 60% Mavro plus more than 30% of a specified foreign variety.

Do not confuse it with other Cypriot varieties. Commandaria is made from Xynisteri and Mavro, not from Maratheftiko. Mavro and Maratheftiko are genetically close but are different varieties; Xynisteri is the most distant from the rest of the Cypriot varieties.

Why it matters to you. The name of a PDO zone on a label does not yet guarantee Maratheftiko in the bottle: the red wine may also be made from Ofthalmo, and in Pitsilia, Vouni Panayias and the Wine Villages also from Mavro and a foreign variety. Look for the name of the grape.