OEOP Commandaria

A quality wine area(PDO) on the island of Cyprus within the southern part of the island (the Greek Republic of Cyprus) in the Mediterranean. This is where the famous sweet wine Commandaria (Koumandaria, Commanderia, Coumadarka, Κουμανδαρία) is produced, which is one of the oldest wines in the world. Based on archaeological excavations, its history dates back to around 3500 BC. In the 8th century BC, the Greek poet Hesiod (~750-680 BC) described a sweet wine called Mana. The translation of "mana" is "mother", which refers to the production process similar to the solera process for sherry.

In 734 BC, Hesiod describes the grape harvest and the production of the wine as follows: "When Orion and the star of the dog (Sirius) move to the centre of the firmament, then cut the grapes and lay them in the sun for ten days and nights (to dry). Then store them in the shade for another five days and put them in jars on the sixth day. Then it becomes wine as a gift from Dionysus (the god of wine)". The English king Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199) conquered the island of Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade. At his wedding to Berengaria (1165-1230), a sweet wine was served that is considered the forerunner of Commandaria and was expressly praised by the king.

Order of St John

A few years later, the Order of St John (Knights of St John of Jerusalem) settled on the island and began to perfect the production of the sweet wine "Nama". Their headquarters were at Kolossi Castle "Grand Commandery", from which "Commandaria" is derived. During Frankish (1192-1489) and Venetian rule (1489-1571), Cypriot wines were exported to all the important trading centres of the time and supplied to many European ruling houses, such as the Habsburg dynasty in Vienna (Austria). Commandaria was also used as a medicine against jaundice by soaking mandrake twigs in it. During the British mandate over Cyprus from 1878 to 1960, the wine also became popular in Great Britain.

Wine-growing area

There has been a protected designation of origin Commandaria since 1973. The wine must come from one of the 14 municipalities in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains north of the harbour town of Lemesos (Limassol) in the south of the island. The best quality wines come from Ayios Constantinos, Ayios Pavlos, Kalo Horio, Louvaras and Zoopigi. The climate is Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild winters. The mostly terraced vineyards cover around 2,000 hectares at 400 to 900 metres above sea level on barren, stony ground.

Cyprus has never been affected by phylloxera, meaning that the vines, which can be over 100 years old, can be cultivated ungrafted. The traditionally bush-grown varieties Xynisteri (white) and Mavro (red) are authorised. The vine density must be at least 2,000 vines/ha and the yield is limited to a maximum of 6,000 kg/ha of grapes. No artificial irrigation is permitted. The grapes must have at least 204 g/l for Xinisteri (12% potential alcohol content) and 230 g/l for Mavro (13.5%). They are sun-dried for around 10 days and reach at least 374 g/l of sugar. The grapes are harvested at the beginning of September.

Production

Most of the base wines are sold to the four large wineries Etko, Keo, Loel and Sodap, which carry out further vinification. The long fermentation process takes two to three months due to the high sugar content. The alcohol content must be at least 9.5% vol. The wine is now fortified with ethyl alcohol (at least 96%) or brandy (maximum 86%) to an alcohol content of at least 15 to a maximum of 18% vol. The potential alcohol content must be at least 22% vol. It is then matured for at least two years in oak or chestnut barrels. According to the traditional Mana method, old wines are blended with young wines. However, there are also small quantities of vintage wines. Depending on the ageing period, there are the designations:

• Aged for at least 2 years
• Very Aged for at least 4 years
• Exceptionally or Exceptionally Aged for at least 8 years
• Rarely or Rarely Aged for at least 12 years

Bottling & wine description

The sweet wine is usually bottled in Cognac or Bocksbeutel-style bottles. The extract-rich, creamy sweet wine is amber to dark reddish-brown in colour and has a distinctive, characteristic aroma of coffee, dried fruit and wild berries with lively acidity. It is characterised by Langlebigkeitlongevity or decades of shelf life and should be drunk as chilled as possible. Also known as the "apostle of wines", this wine is also often used as a mass wine at the Eucharist in Cyprus.

Picture left: By Scops - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Image on the right: By Greencolander - flickr photo, CC BY 2.0, Link