Oenoforos

Eleven years ago Alexis Nicolaides decided to start a wine sales business. His father, proprietor of a successful business dealing in floral décor, was sorry his son didn’t want to go into his enterprise, but gave him every support. The business was called Alexis & Nicolas and a first endeavour was to work with the Vouni-Panayia winery to produce a special red wine called Diana. It wasn’t bad and sold well. Working within limited funds, Alexis turned to the Internet for information and contacts, searching for good wine makers not represented in Cyprus. He was attracted to a large producer-negociant in Burgundy, Michel Picard and contacted him. It was a wise and a lucky choice – Picard, who had developed a small family business into a very large one is a man of incredible energy and enterprise who has a generous spirit which actively encourages and supports others making their way. Intrigued by Alexis’ approach, he came to Cyprus, was impressed with the embryonic importer and gave Alexis his agency. This was, and is, a formidable portfolio ranging from Grand Cru Burgundians to good-value table wines. Picard was launched in Cyprus in 1999. The Internet struck again when Alexis isolated the Chilean producer Montes, who negotiated and agreed on a deal by Email. Four