Antiquity : the island of Dionysus
The oldest traces of winemaking in Cyprus date back 5,500 years. It is about the same period that wine appears in Egypt, but later than in Greece and Georgia (8,000 years ago). However, travellers praise the quality of Cypriot wines early on. In the 8th century BC, the Greek poet Hesiod became enthusiastic about nama, probably the ancestor of the commandaria. It is associated with the cults of Aphrodite and Dionysus. The latter will long be the best ambassador of the Cypriot winegrowers. Indeed, according to Greek mythology, if the god of wine and his excesses loved the island so much, it was for the quality of its wines. At the beginning of our era, Pliny the Elder ranked Cypriot wines among the most precious of the Roman Empire.
1223: the "battle of the wines
Cyprus wine remained a staple of the Byzantine era, as it was served in Constantinople until the Crusaders took the island in 1191. In that year, the Knights Templar organized the territory into "commanderies". This name was soon to designate the island's most famous wine: the commandaria. The Lusignans, who controlled Cyprus from 1192 to 1489, shipped the production to the Latin states of the Holy Land. This made Cypriot wines known all the way to Europe. This is how one of them won the "Battle of the Wines" organized by the King of France Philippe-Auguste in 1223. It is not known whether the winner was a Commandaria or another Cypriot wine, but this "international competition" was to ensure the island's wines a good reputation until the 19th century.
Disastrous British influence
During the Ottoman era, Cypriot wines are still highly sought after. But the arrival of the British in 1878 changed all that. In order to supply their other colonies, the British gave priority to quantity at the expense of quality. After independence, in 1960, yield remains the leitmotiv. Although the vineyards, mainly located in the south of the island, were little affected by the Turkish invasion of 1974, another crisis was looming. The wine market is beginning to change: new producer 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. This crisis is mainly due to poor quality. Cypriot wines are being denigrated. Most winegrowers are disappearing, three quarters of the vineyards are abandoned. The production is now 95% assured by the groups Ekto and Keo and the cooperatives Loel and Sodap. The rest of the sector is made up of about sixty harvesters and producers.
Desertification and hazardous grape varieties
In the 1970s, to ensure - it was believed - optimal production, European grape varieties were introduced (cabernet, syrah, carignan...), to the point that some local varieties have almost disappeared. The Cypriots are now trying to turn back the clock, because since the 1990s, there has been a desertification of the island. Global warming is increasing the alcohol content of wines, which now stands at 14.5 or even 15.5%. However, Cypriot grape varieties are better adapted to these conditions. They also bring more authenticity. The spourtiko (white) with floral aromas is thus making a comeback. And although it represents only 0.5% of production, the quantities harvested have doubled in recent years.
The terroir today
To encourage more quality, the profession has created 5 areas that all benefit since 2012 of a protected designation of origin (PDO). Two near Paphos: Akamas-Laona and Vouni Panagias-Ambelitis. Three others north of Limassol: Commandaria, Pitsilia and Krasochoria Lemesou ("wine villages of Limassol"). In addition, there are 4 areas of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication): Limassol, Paphos, Larnaca and Nicosia. In all, 7,700 ha of vineyards cultivated, of which nearly a quarter in the Commandaria. Half of the production comes from two local varieties: the white xynisteri, not very interesting except at high altitudes, and the red mavro ("black" in Greek), with aromas of wild berries and present in France under the name of "négrette", near Toulouse. Although Cypriot winegrowers produce rosé from mavro, the experience is not very conclusive. From now on, the mavro represents only 13% of the vineyard, against 52% in 2003. At the same time, the share of xynisteri has risen from 10% to 33%.
The perspectives
Today, while production is 110,000 hectolitres, only 3% is exported. Worse, imported wines reach 150,000 hectolitres. And although the drop in production has been halted, we are not yet seeing a leap in quality, particularly because of fertilisers and pesticides. However, the Cypriot climate has always been a bulwark against vine diseases. For example, the island is the only EU territory to have been spared from phylloxera. And while organic wine is booming, only two estates have so far 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 2018, this sweet wine with an orange colour owes its name to the Knights Templar. But a sweet wine called kypro nama or nama was produced here as early as antiquity. The commandaria was sung by many poets, even Marcel Proust, who made it his table wine. Obtained from xynisteri (white) and/or mavro (red), its syrupy aspect comes from the late harvest, but also from the technique of passerillage: after harvest, the grapes are exposed to the sun for 1 to 3 weeks. It thus has an alcohol content of 15%. Situated on volcanic soils, between 600 and 900 m above sea level, the vines cover 2,000 ha spread over 14 villages where most of the production is carried out by Keo, Ekto, Loel and Sodap. There are five different types, all aged 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 at least 15 years). The latter is the most expensive with vintages starting at €70, but the St. John is around €15.
