A LOCAL winery has continued its success story of the past decade, taking the first major gold medal for its Commandaria wine at the recent Cyprus Wine Competition in Paphos.
Saint Barnabas 2004 by Sodap came out on top over 160 wines.
The competition, which took place earlier this month at the Coral Beach Resort, was organised by the Wine Products Council as part of its general efforts to promote a culture of wine in Cyprus and stimulate local consumer interest in Cypriot wines.
The wines were judged by a set of internationally-acclaimed connoisseurs.
Although they were obviously impressed with the quality of Cypriot Commandaria, it is not a big seller locally.
“We have excellent Commandaria and experts are in agreement over this,” explained the Cyprus Mail’s wine expert George Kassianos. “Regrettably, however, consumers in Cyprus do not seem aware of this, which annoys us. The fact that the first major gold medal went to a Commandaria wine is representative of the high quality.”
Sodap is one of the island’s leading wineries, and is a wine co-operative, established in 1947. It unites 10,000 families from 144 vine-growing villages.
Sales and Marketing Manager Marinos Pericleous told the Mail that Sodap’s various wines have won many top awards both locally and internationally over the years.
“When you rank first, of course it’s a special feeling and this time is no different,” he said.
The winery decided to produce a 2004 vintage following the praise heaped on its Saint Barnabas 2002.
A world-renowned sommelier described the latest vintage “as brownish-gold in colour, as a great Commandaria should be. There is a fine aroma on the nose, where you can find predominant chocolate and coffee, dried nuts and figs, followed by fresh mint that follows in the mouth.”
He added that, “the first impression is finesse, with a subtle round taste.”
“All of our Commandaria is produced in the village of Ayios Konstantinos, just north of Limassol and located within the designated Commandaria area,” said Pericleous.
He described the 2004 as an Appelation of Origin wine. “This means it’s produced under strict guidelines.”
A total of 40,000 litres have been made so far and will go on sale to the general public, along with the 2002 vintage, this summer.
Commandaria is made exclusively from two types of indigenous grapes: Xynisteri and Mavro. The grapes are left to overripe on the vine and when sugar content reaches acceptable levels they are harvested.
The grapes are then laid out in the sun to further increase the sugar density through evaporation.
Fermentation takes place in reservoirs and will arrest naturally due to the high levels of alcohol achieved at around 15 per cent. The above process has to take place within the confines of 14 designated villages that lie in the Commandaria region.
By law, Commandaria is aged for at least two years in oak barrels.
“The Saint Barnabas 2004 is made 100 per cent from the xynisteri grape, which gives you a better aromatic character,” Pericleous said.
“It differs from other Commandarias due to the soil and climate involved, which provide the basis for that extra something in quality. The production process gives the wine its genes, so to speak.”
History
Commandaria’s history is as rich as its flavour and is said to date back to the time of the ancient Greeks, where it was a popular drink at festivals celebrating the goddess Aphrodite.
A dried grape wine from Cyprus was described in 800 BC by the Greek poet Hesiod and was known as the Cypriot Manna.
In the 12th century, during the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart is said to have enjoyed Commandaria at his wedding in Cyprus and to have pronounced it “the wine of kings and the king of wines”.
Near the end of the century he sold the island to the Knights Templar who then sold it on to Guy de Lusignan, but they kept a large feudal estate close to Limassol to themselves. This estate was referred to as La Grande Commanderie. The word Commanderie referred to the military headquarters whilst Grande helped distinguish it from two smaller such command posts on the island, one close to Paphos (Phoenix) and another near Kyrenia (Templos).
This area under the control of the Knights Templar (and subsequently the Knights Hospitaller) became known as Commandaria.
When the knights began producing large quantities of the wine for export to Europe’s royal courts and for supplying pilgrims en route to the holy lands, the wine assumed the name of the region. Thus it has the distinction of being the world’s oldest named wine still in production.
Legend has it that in the 13th century Philip Augustus of France held the first-ever wine-tasting competition. The event, branded The Battle of the Wines, was recorded in a notable French poem in 1224.
The competition which included wines from all over Europe and France, was won by a wine from Cyprus widely believed to be Commandaria.
