Commandaria - dessert wines from Cyprus

Commandaria is a wine-growing region on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and at the same time the name of a Cypriot wine. Commandaria represents also a very old wine production, which is named in Cyprus up to 800 BC and is described by Hesiod.

This fruity sweet dessert wine can bear similarity with a sweet sherry.

Wines that bear the name Commandaria, come from a relatively small wine growing region North of Limassol on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains. The vineyards are located up to 1200 meters height on a stony barren surface. The vines are traditionally drawn in Bush form and should not be watered. Admitted to the production of Commandaria there are two autochthonous grapes used, the red Kypreiko or known as Mavro and the white Xynisteri.

During the harvest, the grapes must contain very high (about 230 grams / liter) levels of sugar. Due to the subsequent drying, the sugar content rises to over 400 grams. The grapes of both grapes are separately pressed and fermented separately, traditionally in large clay vats buried partly in the soil or in stainless steel tanks. After this two to four months long fermentation time the musts are usually in equal proportions blended and sprayed on 15 to 20 percent by volume with ethyl alcohol and oxidative expanded in large oak casks. The storage in the oak or even chestnut barrels lasts at least two years, usually but longer.

Depending on the mixing ratio of base wines and expansion the Commandaria is dark amber to dark reddish brown.