Commandaria
Commandaria , in Greek Koumandaría (Κουμανδαρία), is a wine-growing region on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and at the same time the name of a Cypriot wine , a mostly fortified southern wine . The wine, also known as "Commendaria", can have similarities with a sweet sherry . Its history is said to go back to ancient times . Hesiod already gives instructions on how to make wine from dried grapes ( straw wine ), but does not refer to a specific region.
history
During the Third Crusade Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus and married Berengaria , daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre . Commandaria is said to have been served at the wedding and expressly praised by Richard. After the fall of Akkos and the Johanniterkommende there , the Johanniter set up a commanderie in Kolossi , about 20 kilometers north of Limassol . In 1306 Kolossi Castle belonged to the Knights Templar , who set up their new headquarters here , the Great Coming , which was later taken over by the Knights of St. John after the Knights Templar was banned and expropriated . The name of the area and the wine produced there comes from the word “commanderie”. The Johanniter began to export the wine in large quantities and to make it known at the European royal courts. Large quantities were delivered annually to Vienna in particular . This wine was marketed as Commandaria as early as the end of the Middle Ages, making this Cypriot wine the oldest branded wine in the world. The longstanding British mandate over Cyprus established the popularity of this wine in Great Britain.
The wine was also used medicinally. For jaundice , three branches of the mandragora were soaked in commandaria while a special prayer was said. The patient drank three sips of it every morning.
Region and vines
Wines that are allowed to bear the name Commandaria come from a relatively small wine-growing region north of Limassol on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains . The region comprises 14 municipalities; the wine is produced by both local winemakers and large winery cooperatives that have their cellars and production facilities in Limassol. The vineyards are located between 600 and 900 meters above sea level on stony, barren ground; the vines are traditionally in the form of Busch pulled and may not irrigated be. About 2000 hectares are planted.
Two autochthonous grape varieties are permitted for the production of Commandaria , the red Kypreiko , which in Cyprus is called mavro ( Greek : μαορο "black") and the white Xynisteri . The grapes must already contain very high levels of sugar (over 230 grams / liter) at harvest ; the subsequent drying of the grapes on straw mats or foil increases the sugar content to over 400 grams. The grapes are pressed and fermented separately, traditionally in large clay jugs, some of which are buried in the ground, but in the large wineries in stainless steel fermentation tanks. After this two to four month fermentation period, the young wines are usually blended in equal parts, fortified with alcohol to 15 to 20 percent by volume and matured in large oak barrels by oxidation . Occasionally, an aging system is used that is not unlike the Solera system and is called the Mana method in Cyprus . Here, too, the amount drawn from the barrels of the lowest layer is supplemented by young wines from the upper barrel layers.
Wine
After opening, the young wines are stored in oak and occasionally in chestnut barrels for at least two years, but usually longer. They come on the market in different types of bottles, often those that are similar to Cognac bottles or Tawny port bottles, and occasionally also in buckets .
The Commandaria is a strong alcohol, rich in extract, almost creamy sweet wine. Depending on the mix ratio of the base wines and the aging process, it is dark amber to dark reddish brown. The Commandaria is a very idiosyncratic product that can best be compared with a sweet Pedro Ximénez from Montilla-Moriles, for example . Many of the wines on the market are rather average products that lack sophistication and sophistication; they are heavy, sweet and plump, without being able to develop lasting taste nuances on the palate. However, some carefully produced wines definitely deserve attention and with the always present sweetness (residual sugar around 180 grams / liter), in addition to a pronounced coffee note, they can develop a variety of aromas of dried fruits, cherries and wild berries. A Commandaria has a practically unlimited shelf life; Even opened, it retains its drinking quality for months if stored in a cool place. It should be drunk chilled from sherry or liqueur glasses. Some lens manufacturers have launched their own Commandaria lenses on the market. The largest and at the same time oldest Cypriot producer, Etko, has specialized in Commandaria wines, among other things, and also offers many older vintages in above-average quality.
literature
- Roger Voss: Pocket Guide to Fortified and Dessert Wines . Mitchel Beazley 1989. ISBN 978-0-85533-698-1
- F. Paul Pacult: Kindred Spirits: The Spirit Journal Guide to the World's Distilled Spirits and Fortified Wines . Hyperion Books 1997. ISBN 978-0-7868-8172-7
- Stephen Brook: Liquid Gold: Dessert Wines of the World . Constable 1987. ISBN 978-0-09-466920-8
- Horst Dippel (ed.): The wine lexicon . Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1989, ISBN 3-596-24501-X
Individual evidence
- ↑ Works and Days , 609-617
- ^ Kypros Chrysanthis, The Magic Numbers Three, Seven and Seventy-Two in Cypriote Folk-Medicine. Folklore 57/2, 1946, 80