📍 Krasochoria Lemesou

The Wine Villages of Limassol (Krasochoria Lemesou) are a mountain wine district in Cyprus, in the foothills of the Troodos mountains north of the city of Limassol. The name means "wine villages" in Greek. The village of Omodos is considered its centre. The district is part of Limassol and is protected as a PDO. Inside it there are also the subzones of Afames and Laona.

The main grapes are Xynisteri (white), Mavro (red) and Maratheftiko (red). Mavro is Cyprus's most widely grown grape, and its name means "black" in Greek. Xynisteri gives fresh whites with a citrus note. Maratheftiko is an ancient red grape that gives full-bodied wines; many wineries are reviving it. Mavro and Xynisteri make up most of the plantings in Cyprus. Red, white and rosé wines are made.

The history here is very long: winemaking in Cyprus goes back about 5,500 years. One of the island's best-known wines is Commandaria, a sweet wine that won the "Battle of the Wines", the first recorded wine tasting competition, held by the French king Philip Augustus in the thirteenth century.

The mountain villages of the district are known for narrow streets and cellars. Krasochoria is one of several wine areas of Cyprus, which also include Pitsilia and Laona–Akamas.