C Y P R U S h e rita g e
Commandaria Redux text
p h o t o g ra p hy
M at t h e w S to w e l l
LOU C A S S TUDIO
Commandaria, the iconic Cyprus wine, is enjoying a comeback as a younger generation of progressive wineries apply their sophisticated knowhow to long-standing traditions – with impressive results.
Four Seasons Portrait
Commandaria, the quintessential Cyprus wine, has the longest history of any wine in the world. Some claim 5,000 years, others argue 6,000, but one thing is certain: it’s a wine that in every sip embodies all that is generous, sunny, complicated, even holy – it’s the traditional communion wine – about the fiercely independent island nation. It is the one Cypriot wine you can always find most anywhere in the civilised world. For thousands of years its basic method of creation has not changed, a method that since 1990 has been strictly regulated and controlled via government legislation. It must be made from only two local grape varieties, Xinisteri (white) and Mavro (red); the grapes must be from non-irrigated vineyards in one of the 14 Commandaria region villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains. The vines must be at least four years old and trained using the goblet method. The time of harvest and sugar level of the grapes are regulated by the Vine Products Commission; and the grapes are set out to tan in the sun for 7 to 10 days, depending on the increase in sugar content. Other restrictions mandate that Commandaria mature in barrels for at least two years, and it can be fortified or not, as long as the resulting alcohol level is 15 percent. For many years, it was the large Cyprus wine producers, KEO, ETKO, SODAP and LOEL, that dominated the market in Commandaria with only a very few small vineyards making an effort to compete. In the past half a dozen years, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in Commandaria along with a fresh approach borne of a profound respect for its long rich tradition. Independent wine producers, such as Aes Ambelis, Tsiakkas, Kyperounda, Lambouri, Zambartas and Anama are improving upon and expanding the limits of a wine that the Greek poet Hesiod first praised with his pen in the 7th century B.C., calling it the Gift of Bacchus, Sire of Joy.
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