Commandaria: a unique appellation for a unique wine! Some say it is the oldest wine in the world, but no one is really sure of its age. The name “Commandaria” dates from 1191 when Richard the Lionheart gives Cyprus to the order of the Templars who name the territories where they settle the “Commanderies”. The wine produced on these lands is then called “Commandaria”. Since 1993, these wines enjoy a controlled designation of origin, the Commandaria, which delimits the area of production to 14 villages on the southern slope of Mount Troödos, 30 km north of Limasol, the capital of Cyprus, as well as production conditions. The Commandaria is made from two indigenous grape varieties, one red, the Mavro and the other white, the Xynisteri. The vinification is based on a selection of very sweet grapes, a character that is further accentuated by the bunching of grapes in the sun for a week. After a traditional fermentation and the addition of wine brandy or distilled wine, the wine is sent to the cellars in Limasol for barrel aging for at least 2 years according to the principle of the solera.