Micro-wineries in Cyprus hope to give the world's oldest named wine a comeback

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Praised by the past Greek giants Homer and Euripides for its superb prime astir 3,000 years ago, Cyprus’ Commandaria is the world’s oldest recorded and named wine.

Despite its affluent heritage, the saccharine vino has struggled to find its niche successful the planetary market. Now a fig of micro-wineries successful this eastbound Mediterranean land federation are reviving accepted wine-making techniques and giving Commandaria a accidental astatine a long-awaited comeback.

Makers anticipation to pat affluent legends astir the ruby reddish wine.

It’s said to person won the world's archetypal known vino contention during the 13th period regularisation of French King Philippe Augustus. English King Richard the Lionheart is said to person served it to guests astatine his 1191 wedding successful Cyprus. And 14th period Mayor of London Henry Picard reputedly indulged the leaders of England, France, Scotland, Denmark and Cyprus successful the Feast of the Five Kings.

The wine, known arsenic “nama” successful antiquity, was renamed by the medieval Knights Hospitaller, who acceptable up office during the Third Crusade astatine an property known for its vino accumulation that they named Grande Commanderie.

The island’s Orthodox Church aboriginal adopted Commandaria arsenic its communion vino during Byzantine times.

Production peaked erstwhile Venice ruled Cyprus successful the 15th and 16th centuries and prized the vino for its sweetness and analyzable bouquet.

Now bottles are sold for astir 20 euros ($20) to up to 150.

The wine's notes of honey, raisin, walnut, fig, carob, cinnamon, java and caramel are attributed to the island’s affluent volcanic soil, said Christakis Nicolaou, assemblage person of Zoopigi village, location to the Commandaria museum.

Annual accumulation of the vino successful caller years hovered astatine astir 200,000 bottles due to the fact that request tapered off, according to Savvas Constantinou, a beverage inspector with Cyprus’ agriculture and situation ministry.

One origin is the exclusion of immoderate 800,000 Commandaria-loving Russian tourists arsenic a effect of sanctions imposed pursuing Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

Constantinou said a bid to grow into the monolithic Chinese marketplace made headway 5 years agone but wavered aft producers couldn’t conscionable demand.

Wine adept Demetri Walters, who holds the prestigious rubric of Master of Wines, said Commandaria income haven’t gained overmuch traction overseas chiefly due to the fact that of a deficiency of marketing. For instance, the island’s main shaper KEO person been dilatory to recognize the imaginable of the wine, peculiarly their older vintages.

“A shame, arsenic their Commandaria wines are precise good,” Walters told the Associated Press. “The unsocial and antique history, the bonzer prime crossed the 2 styles and the terrific worth for money...Everyone who tastes it for the archetypal clip with maine is blown distant by the complexity of the wine.”

Walters said though saccharine wines are “out of fashion” but successful the specializer trade, this is dilatory changing for Commandaria. He said the vino was entered the UK marketplace successful caller years, but arsenic a niche offering.

Wineries specified arsenic Revecca successful the upland colony of Ayios Mamas person recovered a dependable home and overseas following, with income connected an upward plaything since it opened successful 2015.

Its Commandaria past twelvemonth won apical prize astatine the nationalist vino competition. The winery employs 3 radical and produces 3,000 bottles a year.

Winery curator Nikolas Christodoulides said he’s experimenting with bespoke varieties catering to clients' tastes.

“Our absorption is connected improving prime alternatively than being fixated connected quantity,” Christodoulides said. The attack has worked for 1 Israeli mates who, according to Christodoulides, flies to Cyprus conscionable to replenish their stock.

Commandaria is made with acheronian Mavro and achromatic Xynisteri grapes that are indigenous to Cyprus. They are near successful the sunshine aft harvest for 7 to 12 days to bring retired the distinctive sweetness.

The vino is matured successful reused oak barrels for astatine slightest 2 years successful enactment with strict accumulation laws to conform with the European Union’s protected designation of origin. That means authentic Commandaria comes lone from 14 villages connected the confederate look of the Troodos upland range, wherever they’re exposed to sunlight passim the day.

Some wineries nutrient a darker, sweeter mentation made strictly from the Mavro grapes. That mentation is preferred astatine the Karseras winery successful the colony of Doros, with an yearly mean accumulation of 40 tons.

Manager Philippos Karseras is encouraged by an upswing successful home consumption, though it isn’t rather capable to marque up for the nonaccomplishment of the Russian market.

But those moving the Revecca winery judge that these tiny wineries volition gradually triumph backmost consumers.

“We person guarantee the consistency of our product’s prime archetypal and triumph implicit the home marketplace earlier we tin marque a corporate propulsion to marketplace Commandaria abroad,” Christodoulides said.