Drink this wine before you die! Why?
It holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest continuously produced wine on the planet. Plus, King Richard the Lionheart served it as his wedding!
This sweet Cypriot wine made from sun-dried grapes was first mentioned by Greek poet Hesiod around 700BC. But, archaeological records suggest its production started long before that.
Around 450BC Greek playwright, Euripides, gave it the moniker Cyprus Nama (nama meaning nectar of the Gods). And it was referred to by this name until Medieval Times when the Knights of St John took over the sun-kissed island and made their new HQ on it.
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| The medieval Kolossi Castle a.k.a le Grande Commanderie | © romanevgenev / stock.adobe.com |
The region they occupied became known as the Grande Commanderie. Hence, as returning crusaders took this highly prized wine back west they called it Commandaria and the name has since stuck.
As you might imagine, being made from sundried grapes, Commandaria wine is sweet and concentrated. The wine is typically fortified, although not always, to varying degrees ranging from 15 to 20%. I’d always opt for one towards the lower end if possible.
Despite often having a stupendous amount of residual sugar (above 200g/L in many cases ... that’s twice as much as port!) the wines are rarely heavy and usually have a refreshing uplifting quality. The aromas and flavor are typically of dried apricots, figs, and raisins with a signature of orange zest.
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Gnarly old vines Zambartas Winery Cyprus / © zambartiswineries.com |