Cyprus : The Wine Cleopatra Cherished: A Taste of Cyprus

 

A few years ago, in a certain part of Tokyo, we found ourselves engrossed in gathering information about Cyprus as the night drew on. At the time, we were working for a small travel agency, and a client had approached us with the idea of creating a tour to Cyprus. We worked closely with our local partners on the island, while also gathering as much information as we could in Japan, all in an effort to craft a truly remarkable tour.

 

Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean, lies just off the coast of Turkey. It is easily accessible, with airlines offering connecting flights from Japan. The island has long been home to many Greek settlers, and historically, it has fallen under the rule of several great empires: the Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Roman Empire, Frankish Kingdom, Venice, the Ottoman Empire, and Britain. Like many Mediterranean islands, it is a crossroads of civilisation, where cultures have blended and shaped the land over millennia.

 

Cyprus boasts a wealth of historical and natural sights. Paphos, with its outdoor archaeological parks, is one such gem—its entire town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is home to remnants from the Roman period as well as early Christian basilicas. Among other notable attractions are the Kykko Monastery, tucked away in the mountains and famous for its stunning religious icons, and Nissi Beach, a renowned resort destination.

 

Cyprus was also once the headquarters of the Knights Templar, who protected Christian pilgrims journeying from Europe to the holy city of Jerusalem. In 1974, Turkey occupied the northern part of the island to protect its Turkish Cypriot population, and as a result, Cyprus remains divided today, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north and the Republic of Cyprus in the south.

 

As we delved into the island’s history, climate, and tourist attractions, we came across a key word that piqued our interest: Cleopatra. At one point, Cyprus had been under the protection of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and it was ruled by Cleopatra, known as one of the world’s three greatest beauties.

 

Further research revealed that the island’s Commandaria wine was said to have been a favourite of Cleopatra herself. We also found out that this wine is made from sun-dried grapes. We also discovered that Commandaria is one of Europe’s oldest and most renowned dessert wines, ranking alongside sherry and Portugal’s famous port wine.

According to information from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Commandaria wine is believed to have been produced as far back as around 800 BC. Its history is equally fascinating. In ancient Greece, it is said to have been enjoyed at festivals dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The wine made from sun-dried grapes was famously described by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod around 800 BC as a “miraculous drink.”

During the 12th century, in the era of the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, the English king, is said to have enjoyed Commandaria at his wedding, calling it “the king of wines and the wine of kings.”

Richard the Lionheart, the English monarch, was a key figure in the Third Crusade, a fierce campaign to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim forces. The Pope at the time, Gregory VIII, called on both England and France to send troops, and even the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, responded to the papal summons. However, the battle became increasingly brutal, and by the end of the Crusade, Richard was the last Christian monarch standing.

During this tumultuous period, a storm caused the ship carrying Richard's fiancée, Berengaria of Navarre, and his sister, Joan, to be shipwrecked off the coast of Cyprus. They were threatened by the island’s ruler, Isaac Comnenus, and the British army’s treasure was plundered. Richard pursued them and landed on Cyprus, seizing the city of Limassol in an effort to rescue his loved ones. After freeing Berengaria and Joan, he engaged in a battle that ultimately ended in an English victory. The defeated Isaac, surrendering to Richard, transferred control of Cyprus to him.

 

However, Richard had no real interest in Cyprus. His primary goal was to reclaim Jerusalem, and as a result, he decided to place Cyprus under the protection of the Crusaders.

 

Towards the end of the 12th century, Richard the Lionheart sold the island of Cyprus to the Knights Templar. Subsequently, the Templars passed the island on to Guy de Lusignan, a French knight and a distant relative of Richard. However, they retained the vast estate near Limassol.

 

This Templar territory became known as the "Grand Commandery." The term "Commandery" referred to a military headquarters, and the addition of "Grand" distinguished it from two smaller outposts on the island. These smaller garrisons were located near Paphos in the west and near Kyrenia in the north. Over time, the lands under Templar control came to be known as "Commandaria."

 

During the period when the Templars used their lands to produce large quantities of wine, which they exported to European courts and distributed to pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land, it became customary to name the wine after its place of production. As a result, Commandaria wine is known as one of the oldest wines in the world to retain its original name and continue being produced to this day.

 

The alcohol content of Commandaria wine is relatively high, it has been established with a minimum of 20%. There are four main producers, and in addition, local producers in fourteen villages at the foot of the Troodos Mountains also craft Commandaria wine.

 

We wondered if we could incorporate a tasting of Commandaria wine somewhere into our tour. After consulting with our partner company in Cyprus, we arranged for a tasting to be included during the tour.

 

The tour was successfully launched, sales began, and we were fortunate to attract a good number of participants. As the departure day approached, we hoped that the guests would enjoy themselves and that no accidents would occur, waiting for reports from Cyprus to ensure everything was proceeding smoothly.

 

When the tour returned, we were able to hear feedback from the guests. It seemed they thoroughly enjoyed the rustic charm of Cyprus, with its citrus groves and ancient Greek ruins, and they had good things to say about the seafood. It also appeared that they relished the wine tasting experience.

 

Later, a colleague who went on a business trip to Cyprus brought back a bottle of Commandaria wine as a souvenir. It seemed that there was no particular mention of its connection to Cleopatra in Cyprus itself. In other words, it appeared that the association with Cleopatra was not used as a key selling point for tourism in Cyprus.

 

The colleague who had been on the trip handed me the souvenir with the comment, "It's nothing special, really...".

 

The wine, in a slender-necked black glass bottle, poured into the glass with a rich, amber-brown hue. I knew it was a sweet wine, but upon taking a sip, I was surprised at how light it was, with a distinct aroma of grapes. As a dessert wine, it was absolutely perfect — its sweetness was modest and refreshingly smooth, without being overpowering. It tasted just like a well-ripened dried grape. Perhaps due to its high sugar content, it had a slight viscosity.

 

This wine is made from two varieties of grapes, Mavro and Xinisteri, both native to Cyprus. The grapes are harvested when fully ripe, or even slightly overripe, ensuring a high sugar content. They are then sun-dried for about one to two weeks to further concentrate the sugars. Afterward, the wine is slowly fermented over two to three months before being aged for at least two years in oak barrels.

 

Cyprus is an island nation characterised by rustic towns, abundant nature, and rich history. Though it grapples with complex issues like the division between the north and south, it has become one of the countries I’ve longed to visit. For someone like me, who is fascinated by the history and nature of Mediterranean islands, Cyprus holds a special appeal. I dream of spending a warm evening on the island, sipping Commandaria wine, and letting myself feel like Cleopatra or Richard the Lionheart, relaxing into a moment of timeless indulgence. The wine was just the kind to evoke such a mood.

 

 

 

This essay is part of by book "Tipsy Journey through Europe (Japanese Edition)

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