Antiquity : the island of Dionysus
The oldest traces of wine-making in Cyprus date back 5,500 years. Wine first appeared in Egypt around the same time, but later than in Greece and Georgia (8,000 years ago). However, travellers were quick to praise the quality of Cypriot wines. In the 8th century B.C., the Greek poet Hesiod enthused about nama, probably the ancestor of commandaria. It is associated with the cults of Aphrodite and Dionysus. For many years, Dionysus was the best ambassador for Cypriot winegrowers. Indeed, according to Greek mythology, if the god of wine and its excesses loved the island so much, it was for the quality of its vintages. At the beginning of our era, Pliny the Elder ranked Cypriot wines among the most precious in the Roman Empire.
1223: the "battle of the wines
Cyprus wine remained a safe bet in Byzantine times, being served in Constantinople until the island was taken by the Crusaders in 1191. In that year, the Knights Templar organized the territory into "commanderies". This name soon came to designate the island's most famous wine: commandaria. The Lusignans, who controlled Cyprus from 1192 to 1489, shipped production to the Latin states of the Holy Land. This brought Cypriot wines to the attention of Europe. One of them won the "Battle of the Wines" organized by French king Philippe Auguste in 1223. It is not known whether the winner was a Commandaria or another Cypriot cru, but this "international competition" ensured the island's wines a fine reputation well into the 19th century.
Disastrous British influence
During the Ottoman era, Cypriot wines were still highly sought-after. But the arrival of the British in 1878 changed everything. In order to supply their other colonies, they favored quantity over quality. After independence in 1960, yield remained the watchword. Although the vineyards, mainly in the south of the island, were little affected by the Turkish invasion of 1974, another crisis was looming. The wine market began to change: new wine-producing countries, new expectations in terms of quality. In 1989, a record year, Cypriot wine production reached 93,000 tonnes. It plummeted to 13,000 tonnes in 2018. The crisis is mainly due to poor quality. Cypriot wines are disparaged. Most winegrowers have disappeared, and three quarters of the vineyards have been abandoned. The Ekto and Keo groups and the Loel and Sodap cooperatives now account for 95% of production. The rest of the sector is made up of some sixty growers and producers.
Desertification and hazardous grape varieties
In the 1970s, European grape varieties (Cabernet, Syrah, Carignan, etc.) were introduced to ensure - it was believed - optimal production, to the point where some local varieties have all but disappeared. The Cypriots are now trying to reverse this trend, as since the 1990s the island has become increasingly desertified. Global warming is pushing up the alcohol content of wines, which now stand at 14.5% to 15.5%. Cypriot grape varieties are better adapted to these conditions. They also bring more authenticity. Spourtiko (white) with its floral aromas is making a comeback. And while it accounts for only 0.5% of production, the quantities harvested have doubled in recent years.
The terroir today
To encourage higher quality, the industry has created 5 zones, all of which have been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status since 2012. Two near Paphos: Akamas-Laona and Vouni Panagias-Ambelitis. Three others north of Limassol: Commandaria, Pitsilia and Krasochoria Lemesou ("Limassol wine villages"). In addition, there are 4 PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) zones: Limassol, Paphos, Larnaka and Nicosia. In all, 7,700 hectares of vines are cultivated, almost a quarter of which are in the Commandaria. Half of the production comes from two local grape varieties: the white xynisteri, of little interest except at high altitude, and the red mavro ("black" in Greek), with its wild berry aromas and present in France under the name "négrette", near Toulouse. Although Cypriot winegrowers produce rosé from mavro, the experiment has been inconclusive. Mavro now accounts for just 13% of the vineyard, down from 52% in 2003. At the same time, the share of xynisteri has risen from 10% to 33%.
The perspectives
Today, production is 110,000 hectolitres, but only 3% is exported. Worse still, imported wines have reached 150,000 hectolitres. And while the decline in production has been halted, we have yet to see a quantum leap in quality, mainly due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Yet the Cypriot climate has always been a bulwark against vine diseases. The island is the only EU territory to have been spared phylloxera. And while organic wine is booming, only two estates have yet chosen this path: Tsangarides and, above all, Gaia Oinotechniki, whose entire range is organic.
The commandaria
With a small production of 3,300 hectolitres in 2024, this sweet orange-colored wine owes its name to the Knights Templar. But a sweet wine called kypro nama or nama was produced here as far back as antiquity. Commandaria has been sung by many poets, including Marcel Proust, who made it his table wine. Obtained from xynisteri (white) and/or mavro (red) grapes, its sweetness comes from late harvesting, but also from the passerillage technique: after harvesting, the grapes are exposed to the sun for 1 to 3 weeks. The result is a wine with an alcohol content of 15%. Situated on volcanic soils between 600 and 900 m above sea level, the vineyards cover 2,000 ha in 14 villages, where the bulk of production is handled by Keo, Ekto, Loel and Sodap. There are five different types, all aged for at least three years in oak barrels: St. John (mavro), St. Barnabas (xynistari), St. Nicholas (80% xynistari, 20% mavro), Alasia (50% xynistari, 50% mavro) and Centurion (55% xynistari, 45% mavro and aged for at least fifteen years). The latter is the most expensive, with vintages starting at €70, but St. John is around €15.
