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Dr. Edward Peters
Updated 17 dec 2012
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Commandaria
I: St. John’s
Cyprus
gives the impression, at least to those of us who know it only from afar, of
having been passed over by much of the second millenium’s march of progress.
In Homeric times, however, it was regarded as a place near the center of the
world, and the warrior Richard the Lion-Hearted thought highly enough of the
island fortress to have it host his wedding to Berengaria. But since the
collapse of the Crusades, and the eventual takeover of the area by Turkish
Mohammedans, neither technology nor capitalism have sunk very deep roots in the
volcanic soil that boasts one of the most wine-benign climates in the world. For
devotees of sweet dessert wines, there is cause for rejoicing here.
Commandaria
is the Cypriots’ outstanding gift to the world of wine. Since the days when
Aphrodite was first worshipped by young hoplites with javelins (as opposed to
aging feminists with cell phones), grapes harvested from the south slopes of
Cyprus have been set out to raisin a week in the Mediterranean sun, and then are
crushed, fermented, and aged. The Knights Templar, during their long breaks
between battles, worked out the optimum grape varieties and times for harvest,
semi-drying, and fermentation. Their process (in truth, not much different from
that of the ancient Greeks) has been preserved virtually intact for nearly 1,000
years, happily, if curiously, more-or-less ignored most of this time by
Cyprus’ anti-alcohol Muslim overlords.
The result is a superb, non-vintage, sweet dessert wine with naturally
high alcohol (+15%) and a very forward burnt raisin flavor. Commandaria St. John
by Keo of Lemosos is an excellent introduction to fine Cypriot wine, and it
graciously retails at $ 15 or a bit less in the US.
Douglas
Bushman recently made an excellent sipping suggestion toward which I admit I was
initially skeptical. Begin the evening’s conversation with a good tawny port
(he was serving Australian Clocktower, as I recall, while a Dallas thunderstorm
was building in the north) but follow it up with an imperceptibly chilled
Commandaria in the same glass. It was heaven, and we talked till two, while the
storm passed harmlessly to the east. +++
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