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Commandaria (Commandaria) is an amber-colored dessert wine produced on the island of Cyprus for 4000 years.
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History of Commandaria wine
2000 BC: It was in Cyprus that the first Mediterranean wine was made. It was several hundred years ahead of Crete, where they also began to engage in winemaking early. Cypriot wine was considered a delicacy in antiquity and its reputation lasted until the time of the Crusades.
800 BC: Wine was a popular drink at festivities dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. Dried grape wine from Cyprus was first described by the Greek poet Hesiod. It bore the name “Cypriot Manna”.
XII century: Commandaria takes its name from Gran Commanderie, an area with Kolossi Castle to the west of Limassol. The castle was the headquarters of the Knights Templar. In their circles, wine was very famous. It was sold to locals, supplied to European royal courts.
Soon the drink became synonymous with Gran Commanderie, the name given to the area where the wine was produced. When marrying Berengaria, Richard I the Lionheart said that Commandaria is “the wine of kings and the king of wines”.
XIII century: One legend has it that Philip Augustus of France hosted the first ever wine tasting competition. The event, called the Battle of the Wines (French: La Bataille des Vins), was described in a poem by Henri d’Andely in 1224. Wines from all over Europe and France participated, but Cyprus won with Commandaria.
Another is that the Ottoman sultan invaded the island just to get this wine.
1363 There is a version that it was used at the Five Kings festival in the City of London. The crusaders have long ceased to rule Cyprus, but production has not stopped.
1833 Kira Redding in the book “A history and description of modern wines” mentioned Commandery.
1863 Thomas George Shaw wrote the book “Wine, the vine, and the cellar”, where he also described Commanderia.
1879 The volume of production is growing. British explorer Sir Samuel White Baker recorded that Cyprus annually exported about 230 liters to Austria alone.
2004 In the Cypriot settlement of Erimi, not far from the birthplace of the drink, the Wine Museum was opened. The central place in the collection is given to the Commandaria, as the king of wines.
2020 Production continues to this day. Products are often bought by Cypriot tourists as a souvenir. At the Liturgy, wine is used in the process of communion.
Production of Commandaria wine
For the production of wine using local grape varieties Mavro (black) and Xynisteri (white).
Vineyards must be at least 4 years old, watering is prohibited. The grapes are left to ripen on the vine, when the sugar content reaches its maximum level, they are harvested. The grapes are laid out in the sun to increase the sugar content by evaporating the liquid. As a result, the fruits are raisined. The juice is extracted by careful crushing and pressing.
Fermentation takes place within 14 designated settlements of the Commandaria region. The alcohol level reaches 15%. Legally aged for two years in oak barrels. Sometimes it takes place outside the above zone of Cyprus under strict control and under the conditions established by Cypriot law.
Popular brands of Commandaria
Etko Winery St. Nicholas Commandaria, 15%
Like all red wines on the list, it has a deep amber color. Smells like red and black berries. Taste with notes of cinnamon, cloves and almonds. Pleasant sweetness, long gentle aftertaste of prunes and raisins.
Keo St.John Commandaria, 15%
Dessert fruity with a long aftertaste. The aroma is spicy with hints of nuts and prunes. So sweet that it can become a full-fledged dessert.
Barnabas Commandaria, 15%
Rich taste, woven from spicy and raisin notes. It smells of dried fruits: dates, raisins with honey-cinnamon hues. Spices are felt in the long aftertaste.
Alasia Commandaria, 15%
Intense sweet wine with honey tones. The aroma is dominated by dark fruits. Figs and nuts are intertwined in the long aftertaste.
Tsiakkas Commandaria, 15%
Balanced fruity wine. Intense aroma of ripe apricot and fig. Nutty aftertaste.
How and with what to drink Commandaria wine
Refrigerate to 6-9°C before serving. Choose low wide glasses. They are named. In 2006, a company from Austria began to make such ones for the national pride of Cyprus.
Wine is served after the main meal with appetizers of meats, cheeses, desserts and fruits.
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Relevance: 10.04.2020
Tags: Wine and vermouth, Wine brands