Commandaria (Greek: Κουμανδαρία) is an amber-golden sweet dessert wine made in the Cypriot wine region of the same name. The drink is made from Xynisteri and Mavro grapes raisined in the sun. Thanks to the peculiarities of the technology, commandaria wine turns out to be strong, about 15%, while it is often additionally fortified with alcohol, increasing the already considerable degree.
Commandaria is the oldest existing type of wine with a preserved name (this record is even recorded in the Guinness book), it was drunk in Cyprus as early as the XNUMXth century BC, and modern winemakers strictly adhere to the ancient recipe. The drink owes its name to the Crusades of the XNUMXth century.
The history of the commandaria begins in the days of ancient Greece – the first mention is found in the works of the ancient poet Hesiod in the XNUMXth century BC. In those days, commandaria was drunk at festivities and festivals, and outside the island the wine was known under the name “Cypriot manna”.
In the XII century, during the time of the Crusades, Cypriot wine made from dried grapes was served at the wedding of Richard the Lionheart and Berengaria of Navarre. It was then, at the wedding feast, that the English monarch proclaimed commandaria “the wine of kings, the king among wines.”
By the end of the XNUMXth century, the island of Cyprus passed to the Templars, who then sold it to the King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan, but retained extensive fiefs near Limassol. This territory was first called La Grande Commanderie, that is, the “Great Commandery”, and later became the “Commandaria”. The Templars and Hospitallers who ruled there made local wine, which was sent to European royal courts, and also offered to pilgrims who were tired on the way to Jerusalem. Over time, the drink received the same name as the region of production, this name has remained unchanged to this day.
There is a legend that in the XNUMXth century, King Philip II Augustus of France organized the first wine competition in history, in which varieties from all over Europe took part. The commandaria won an unconditional victory, and the Ottoman Sultan Selim II conquered Cyprus only in order to gain access to the vineyards and wineries where this drink was made. Also, according to one version, it was the raisined Xynisteri and Mavro berries that were exported to Portugal, where they became the basis for the famous port wine.
Commandaria production technology
The berries are left to overripe on the vines until the sugar content in the fruit reaches its maximum. Then the grapes are dried in the sun for 7-14 days, the resulting raisins are crushed into pulp and sent for fermentation, which lasts 2-3 months. The fermented liquid with a strength of 10-15% is often additionally fortified with grape alcohol, but in such a way that the degree of the final product does not exceed 20%. This production step is optional. The finished wine is aged in oak barrels for at least two years.
Commandaria is the national wine of Cyprus, which has the status of a protected designation of origin. It can only be made on the mentioned island, and only in the appellation of the same name.
This brand does not belong to a specific winemaker: sweet fortified wine according to ancient recipes is made by both large-scale productions (KEO, ETKO, LOEL, SODAP) and small local distilleries. Commandaria can be both vintage (that is, made from berries of the same harvest) and non-vintage (a blend of wines from different years). Some producers age their dessert wine according to the Solera and Criadera system, although this is not required.
How to drink commandaria
Aged commandantaria takes on a deep rich color, closer to brown than yellow. The taste is felt citrus, coffee, chocolate, dried apricots, nuts, raisins, honey, caramel, figs, dried pumpkin. This wine is drunk after a hearty dinner, with a dessert – for example, chocolate mousse, dried fruit, blue cheese.
Serving temperature is 6-9 °C, this is how the rich bouquet of the drink is best revealed and taste flaws, such as high strength, are hidden. They drink commandaria from squat glasses with a wide bowl. In 2006, the Austrian company Riedel designed and created a special “named” glass for the Cypriot national pride.
