Commandaria

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Commandaria is a historic amber-hued sweet wine originating from the foothills of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus, widely acknowledged as one of the oldest continuously produced named wine styles in the world. It is brewed using sun-dried local native Xynisteri white grapes and Mavro red grapes, and carries protected geographical indication status across multiple global markets.

Key moments

circa 800 BCEEarly documented production of similar Cypriot sweet wine styles appears in ancient Greek historical and literary records
12th century CECrusaders formalize the wine's name after the local feudal La Grande Commanderie estate; King Richard I of England famously dubs it "the wine of kings and the king of wines"
1927Major Cypriot commercial winery KEO is founded, launching the modern era of standardized large-batch Commandaria production
Late 20th centuryCyprus introduces formal government-regulated production standards for Commandaria to preserve its traditional characteristics
Early 2000sCommandaria earns EU Protected Designation of Origin status, with later extended GI recognition in the US, Canada, and China

Unmatched historical continuity as a living cultural artifact

Unlike nearly all other named modern wine styles that developed in the last 300 years, Commandaria has kept its core formulation, grape sourcing rules and regional identity largely consistent for over 2500 years. It spans and connects multiple distinct eras of Cypriot history, from ancient Hellenistic settlements, to medieval Crusader rule, to the modern independent Cypriot republic. It has long been used as a national diplomatic gift and flagship cultural export to showcase the island's deep winemaking heritage to global audiences.

Strict production rules that create a uniquely identifiable terroir expression

Commandaria's regulated production mandates that all grapes must be cultivated between 500 and 900 meters of altitude across 14 designated villages in Cyprus, with harvested fruit laid out in direct sunlight for 7 to 10 days to naturally concentrate sugar, followed by a minimum 2 years of oak aging. These enforceable rules differentiate it from comparable sun-dried sweet wine styles such as Italian Vin Santo or French late-harvest Sauternes, delivering a signature smooth, nutty, honeyed flavor profile directly tied to Cyprus' unique Mediterranean mountain terroir.

Commandaria (also called Commanderia and Coumadarka;, κουμανταρία and Cypriot Greek κουμανταρκά[1]) is an amber-coloured sweet dessert wine made in the Commandaria region of Cyprus on the foothills of the Troödos Mountains. Commandaria is made from sun-dried grapes of the varieties Xynisteri and Mavro.

History

The wine has a long history, said to date back to the time of the ancient Greeks, when it was a popular drink at festivals. A dried grape wine from Cyprus was first known to be described in 800 BC by the Greek poet Hesiod and was known by, much later, as the Cypriot Manna.[2][3]

During the crusades, Commandaria was served at the 12th-century wedding of King Richard the Lionheart to Berengaria of Navarre, in the town of Limassol; it was during the wedding that King Richard pronounced Commandaria "the wine of kings and the king of wines".[4] Near the end of the century he sold the island to the Knights Templar, who then sold it to Guy de Lusignan, but kept a large feudal estate at Kolossi, close to Limassol, to themselves. This estate was referred to as "La Grande Commanderie". The word Commanderie referred to the military headquarters whilst Grande helped distinguish it from two smaller such command posts on the island, one close to Paphos (Phoenix) and another near Kyrenia (Templos). This area under the control of the Knights Templar (and subsequently the Knights Hospitaller) became known as Commandaria.[5] When the knights began producing large quantities of the wine for export to Europe's royal courts and for supplying pilgrims en route to the holy lands, the wine assumed the name of the region. Thus it has the distinction of being the world's oldest named wine still in production.[6][7][8]

Although today it is produced and marketed under the name Commandaria, it has been referred to with several similar names and spellings in the past. In 1863, Thomas George Shaw in his book Wine, the vine, and the cellar refers to this wine as Commanderi[9] whilst in 1879, Samuel Baker refers to it as Commanderia.[10] In 1833 Cyrus Redding in his book "A history and description of modern wines" makes reference to the wine of the "Commandery".[11]

Legend has it that in the 13th century Philip Augustus of France held the first ever wine tasting competition. The event, branded The Battle of the Wines (fr. La Bataille des Vins), was recorded in a notable French poem written by Henry d'Andeli in 1224.[12] The competition which included wines from all over Europe and France, was won by a sweet wine from Cyprus widely believed to be Commandaria.[13] The Commandery region itself fell into the control of his descendant Philip IV in 1307, after the suppression of the Knights Templar.

Another legend has it that the Ottoman sultan Selim II invaded the island just to acquire Commandaria; also that the grapes used to make this wine were the same grapes exported to Portugal that eventually became famous as the source of port wine.[14]

Production

Commandaria is made exclusively from two types of indigenous Cyprus grapes: Xynisteri and Mavro.[15][16] The grapes are left to overripe on the vine and when sugar content reaches acceptable levels (corresponding to high must weight) they are harvested. More specifically, Xynisteri is picked when at around 12 degrees Baumé (°Bé) and Mavro at 15-16 °Bé. The grapes are then laid out in the sun to further increase the sugar density through evaporation. When the must weight reaches 19 to 23 °Bé the juice is extracted through crushing and pressing.[17] Fermentation takes place in reservoirs and will arrest naturally due to the high levels of alcohol achieved at around 15%. The above process has to take place within the confines of 14 designated villages that lie in the Commandaria Region (see below). Commandaria, by law, is aged for at least two years in Oak Barrels but this can take place outside the above-designated area within Cyprus under strict control and under the conditions laid down in Cypriot legislation.[18]

Once fermentation has been completed, at a minimum alcohol level of 10% (which is often exceeded), the alcoholic strength of Commandaria may be increased by the addition of pure 95% grape alcohol or a wine distillate of at least 70% alcohol to a minimum of 15% of alcohol. However, after this addition, the wine's actual alcohol content may not exceed 20%, while its total potential alcohol (including its sugar content) must be at least 22.5%.[19] Thus, Commandaria may be a fortified wine, but fortification is not mandatory.

The origins of the production method are not definite. In his poem Works and Days, written in the 7th century BC, Hesiod, writes: Forget not next the ripen'd Grapes to lay, Ten Nights in Air, nor take them in by Day; Five more remember, e're the Wine is made, To let them ly, to mellow in the Shade; And in the sixth briskly yourself employ, To cask the Gift of Bacchus, Sire of Joy."[20]

Pliny the Elder describes similar methods employed by the Greeks for making sweet wines, The grapes are left on the vine to dry in the sun...It is made by drying grapes in the sun, and then placing them for seven days in a closed place upon hurdles, some seven Feet from the ground, care being taken to protect them at night from the dews: on the eighth day they are trodden out: this method, it is said, produces a liquor of exquisite bouquet and flavour. The liquor known as melitites is also one of the sweet wines [21]

In his account, Samuel Baker describes the production in 1879 ...the commanderia grapes are collected and spread upon the flat mud-plastered roofs of the native houses and are exposed for several days until they show symptoms of shriveling in the skin, and the stalks have partially dried: they are then pressed……" He claims that the evolution of this method was more out of necessity than choice..... "It has been imagined by some travellers that the grapes are purposely dried before pressing; on the other hand, I have been assured by the inhabitants that their only reason for heaping and exposing their crop upon the house-tops is the danger of leaving it to ripen in the vineyard. None of the plots are fenced, and before the grapes are sufficiently ripe for pressing they are stolen in large quantities, or destroyed by cattle, goats, mules, and every stray animal that is attracted to the fields…."[22]

Commandaria was produced by the large wine industries (KEO, ETKO, LOEL, and SODAP) and by a few small local producers of the Commandaria appellation zone (see below). Nowadays several other modern wineries are producing high-quality Commandaria (Oenou Yi, Tsiakas, Kyperounda, etc.).

Data recorded by Samuel Baker in his book Cyprus - How I saw it in 1879 reveal that in the late 19th century Cyprus had an annual production of about 300,000 okes, equivalent to about 385,000 litres (data reflects only duty-paid production). Of this, Cyprus exported 180,103 okes from Limassol Port, of which the vast majority went to Austria (155,000 okes valued at UK£2,075).[10]

Official figures released by Cyprus’ Vines Products Commission show that there is a generally increasing trend in the volumes produced. Much of Commandaria production is still targeted for export.[23]