{{Short description|Variety of grape}} {{for|the Greek wine grape that is also known as Mavro|Agiorgitiko}} {{for|the pyramid scheme called Mavro-mining|MMM (Ponzi scheme company)}}
{{Infobox grape variety | name = Mavro ''(μαύρο)'' | image = Mavro.jpg | caption = Mavro grapes | species = ''Vitis vinifera'' | also_called = | origin = Cyprus | hazards = <!-- Viticultural hazards --> | regions = | notable_wines = Commandaria }}
'''Mavro''' ({{langx|el|μαύρο}}, meaning "black") is an indigenous red grape cultivated on the island of Cyprus.<ref name=CFVM>{{cite web|title=Κρασί κυπριακό : Μια παράδοση 5500 χρόνων|url=http://foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy/web/guest/trofima/civitem/1631#_bs_civitems_tabcyprus.tab3|website=foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy|publisher=Cyprus Food Virtual Museum|access-date=27 November 2015|language=el}}</ref> The grape takes its name from its dark colour. The Italian ampelographer, Count Giuseppe di Rovasenda refers to it in 1877 as Cipro Nero ''(Cyprus black)''.<ref>{{cite book | last = di Rovasenda | first = Giuseppe | title = Saggio di Ampelografia Universale (Essay on Universal Ampelography) | year = 1877 | location = Italy }}</ref> An ancient variety, its suitability to the hot Cypriot climate has made it the dominant cultivated vine on the island. It accounts for 70% of cultivated vines.<ref>''page 454, Larousse Encyclopaedia of Wine by Christopher Foulkes, {{ISBN|0-600-60475-6}}.''</ref> Of note is that Mavro continues to grow on ancient rootstock unlike most mainland European grapes that are grafted on North American rootstock. This is a consequence of Cyprus’ escape from the phylloxera epidemic that had devastated most other European vineyards, in the 19th century.<ref>{{cite news | title=Cyprus wine comes of age | date=13 January 1994 | publisher=CatererSearch | url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/1994/01/13/5877/cyprus-wine-comes-of-age.html | work=Caterer and Hotelkeeper (Archive) | access-date=2007-11-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515122250/http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/1994/01/13/5877/cyprus-wine-comes-of-age.html | archive-date=15 May 2009 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
Mavrud is a Bulgarian wine with a similar name made from mavrud grapes. Recent genotyping has shown that these two varieties (Mavro and Mavrud) are not related.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Genotyping Vitis vinifera L. cultivars of Cyprus by microsatellite analysis.|journal=Vitis|year=2005|first=T|last=Hvarleva|author2=Hadjinicoli, A. |author3=Atanassov, I. |author4=Atanassov, A. |author5=Ioannou, N. |volume=44|issue=2|pages=93–97}}</ref>
Mavro grapes are used in the production of several (predominantly red) local wines.<ref name=CFVM/> Most notably however, Mavro is blended with the Xynisteri grape for the production of Commandaria, a well-known Cypriot dessert wine.<ref name=a>{{cite web|last1=Mastropavlos|first1=Nikos|title=Οι δρόμοι του κρασιού στη Μεγαλόνησο|url=http://www.tovima.gr/vimagazino/views/article/?aid=576353|website=tovima.gr|date=13 March 2014 |publisher=To Vima|access-date=24 November 2015|language=el}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Stephen | last = Meuse | title = Winemaking in transition | date = June 6, 2010 | url = http://archive.boston.com/travel/getaways/europe/articles/2010/06/06/winemaking_in_transition/ | work = The Boston Globe | pages = 2 | access-date = 2010-06-07}}</ref> It is also used in the production of the spirit zivania.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.loel.com.cy/spirits/local_aperitif/zivana.php |title=Zivana (zivania) product description |access-date=2007-10-30 |publisher=LOEL Ltd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112081430/http://www.loel.com.cy/spirits/local_aperitif/zivana.php |archive-date=2007-11-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Harvesting usually takes place in September.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
Category:Red wine grape varieties Category:Grape varieties of Cyprus