The Cyprus Food, Wine and Cultural Festival celebrated two milestones on the weekend; twenty years of offering Victorians a taste of Cyprus but also a venue change to South Wharf. The venue change proved to add to the success of the festival as it opened it up to the wider Victorian community to get a taste of Cyprus at this weekend long event. And with the iconic Yarra River as a background, festival goers were provided with the best of both worlds.
Organised by the Cypriot Community of Melbourne, Victoria, the weekend long event saw first, second and third generation Cypriots as well as the wider Victorian community indulge in Cypriot cuisine, wine and culture. Traditional dancers graced the stage all weekend, with Cypriot music on offer for all. The food was a definite highlight for all who attended who feasted on loukoumathes and traditional Cypriot delicacies sheftalies and koupes. An outside deck bar was set up for free wine tasting as well as an idea of what it’s like to enjoy a beverage on the island of Cyprus. A photographic exhibition showcasing the antiquities of Cyprus was also on display.
On Saturday night, distinguished guests stood alongside the President of the Cypriot Community of Melbourne, Victoria Jim Wood, to officially launch the festival. These included Federal MP Maria Vamvakinou, Victorian MPs John Pandazopoulos, Jenny Mikakos and Graham Watt, VMC’s Ross Alatsas, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne Bill Papastergiadis, Kostas Prokopiou, president of PASEKA, as well as the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia Yannis Iacovou.
In parliament this week, Federal MP Maria Vamvakinou congratulated the Victorian Cypriot Community on hosting such a wonderful event. She made special mention of the president of the Cypriot community of Victoria-Melbourne, Victoria Jim Wood, as well as the hundreds of volunteers who made the event possible.
“The motto of the wine festival, which you are all very familiar with now, is that if you drink wine, you will have long and good health, inserting the other platitude: excellence in moderation is very important if you want a long life and good health,” she said.
“Cypriots are very proud of their winemaking history. They are also proud of the wonderful food that is always on offer when I and many other guests attend these functions.
“The Cypriot Wine Festival was very well attended on Saturday night. There was a cross-group of first-generation Australians of Cypriot background with their grandparents and their grandchildren. The beauty of it being at the South Wharf for the first time meant that it was available for a greater audience to participate in.”