📍 Commandaria

Commandaria is a sweet wine and the wine zone of the same name in Cyprus, on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains, in the Limassol district. It is one of the oldest wines in the world still made today. Its history spans about three thousand years. The name comes from the Grand Commandery of the Knights Hospitaller at Kolossi, where the wine was made in the Middle Ages.

The wine is made from two local grapes: the red Mavro and the white Xynisteri. After harvest the bunches are dried in the sun on open areas for several days so that the berries gather sugar. The juice is then fermented and aged for at least two years in oak barrels. The finished wine is dark amber and sweet, with notes of raisin, nut, honey and dried fruit. It often has 15 to 20% alcohol.

The zone covers 14 villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos, and the denomination (PDO) is protected by law. Commandaria is served with desserts, cheese or simply as an aperitif.

Commandaria is part of Limassol and of Cypriot winemaking. It is said that King Richard the Lionheart greatly valued the wine. Commandaria is drunk from small glasses because the wine is rich and very sweet. The name Commandaria on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.