The Omodos Wine Press, also known as Linos tou Charilaou, is a remarkably well‑preserved medieval wine press tucked away in the cobbled streets of Omodos, a wine‑growing village in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. Just a short walk from the historic Timios Stavros Monastery, it occupies a small stone room that today serves as a tiny museum of traditional winemaking. Inside, visitors find vats, cauldrons, and tools that evoke centuries of rural life. According to accounts from the current owner, the site has been used for winemaking for roughly 700–800 years, making it one of the oldest surviving installations of its kind on the island.
At the heart of the room is the spectacular press itself: an enormous double wooden beam that spans the space, ending in a massive wooden screw weighted by a heavy stone. In its working days, grapes were heaped into a large tray under the beam, then covered with sturdy planks. Two workers would turn the screw, raising the stone so that the beam dropped and squeezed the grapes with immense force. The juice ran into partially buried clay or stone vats, which were sealed to ferment and protect the must from spoilage. Although wineries in Omodos now rely on modern equipment, they still cultivate traditional Cypriot varieties such as Xynisteri and Mavro, linking today’s wines to the same landscapes and practices that once animated the Omodos Wine Press centuries ago.
