Κουμανδαρία (Koumandaria)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Commandaria zone lies to the north of the Limassol district, with vineyards situated at elevations ranging from 400 m to 900 m.
• In the western part of the zone, semi-mountainous terrain prevails, with gentle natural slopes at elevations between 400 m and 700 m, a mean gradient of 10 to 30 degrees, and poor, arid, calcareous soils.
• In the eastern part, the zone forms an extension of the Troodos mountain range, with volcanic and rocky sloping soils at gradients exceeding 30 degrees and elevations reaching up to 900 m.
• Summers in the zone are hot and dry, while winters are mild to cool in the northern areas at elevations above 800 m.
• Based on measurements recorded for the period 1991–2005, the mean daily temperature is approximately 17.7 °C, ranging between 24.3 °C and 27 °C in summer and between 8.9 °C and 10.5 °C in winter.

• Commandaria is considered the oldest appellation of origin in the wine sector, and takes its name from the Grand Commandery of the Crusader Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
• During the period from 1920 to 1925, with the emergence and development of the cooperative movement in Cyprus, the production process was placed under the supervision of cooperative winemaking companies.
• The indigenous varieties Xynisteri and Dopio Mavro have been present in the zone since ancient times and have traditionally been the varieties of choice among producers.
• Maximum yields were established by producers on the basis of empirical data collected over time and were codified into regulation in 1990.
• Vines in the zone are trained in the traditional gobelet form, while mechanical cultivation is employed wherever the soil characteristics of the vineyard permit.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Cyprus

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — moa-cy
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-CY-A1622