Commandaria is an amber-coloured sweet dessert wine made in Cyprus on the foothills of the Troodos mountains. Commandaria is made from sun-dried grapes of the varieties Xynisteri and Mavro. It represents an ancient wine style documented in Cyprus back to 800 BC and has the distinction of being the world's oldest named wine still in production, with the name Commandaria dating back to the crusades in the 12th century.

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The wine has a rich history, said to date back to the time of the ancient Greeks, where it was a popular drink at festivals. A dried grape wine from Cyprus was first known to be described in 700 BC by the Greek poet Hesiod and was known, by much later, as the Cypriot Manna.

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In his poem Works and Days Hesiod, writes:

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But when Orion and Sirius are come into mid-heaven, and rosy-fingered Dawn sees Arcturus (that is in September), then cut off all the grape-clusters, Perses, and bring them home. Show them to the sun ten days and ten nights: then cover them over for five, and on the sixth day draw off into vessels the gifts of joyful Dionysus.

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Pliny the Elder describes similar methods employed by the Greeks for making a sweet wines: 

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“The grapes are left on the vine to dry in the sun...It is made by drying grapes in the sun, and then placing them for seven days in a closed place upon hurdles, some seven Feet from the ground, care being taken to protect them at night from the dews: on the eighth day they are trodden out: this method, it is said, produces a liquor of exquisite bouquet and flavour. The liquor known as melitites is also one of the sweet wines ”

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During the crusades, Commandaria was served at the 12th century wedding of King Richard the Lionheart to Berengaria of Navarre, in Limassol; it was during the wedding that King Richard pronounced Commandaria "the wine of kings and the king of wines". Near the end of the century he sold the island to the Knights Templar, who then sold it to Guy de Lusignan, but kept a large feudal estate at Kolossi, close to Limassol, to themselves. This estate was referred to as "La Grande Commanderie". The word Commanderie referred to the military headquarters whilst Grande helped distinguish it from two smaller such command posts on the island, one close to Paphos (Phoenix) and another near Kyrenia (Templos). This area under the control of the Knights Templar (and subsequently the Knights Hospitaller) became known as Commandaria.

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When the knights began producing large quantities of the wine for export to Europe's royal courts and for supplying pilgrims en route to the holy lands, the wine assumed the name of the region. 

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Although today it is produced and marketed under the name Commandaria, it has been referred to with several similar names and spellings in the past. Thomas George Shaw refers to this wine as Commanderi whilst Samuel Baker refers to it as Commanderia. Cyrus Redding makes reference to the wine of the "Commandery".

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In the 13th century Philip Augustus of France held the first ever wine tasting competition. The event, branded The Battle of the Wines was recorded in a notable French poem written by Henry d'Andeli in 1224. The competition which included wines from all over Europe and France, was won by a sweet wine from Cyprus widely believed to be Commandaria. The Commandery region itself fell into the control of his descendant Philip IV in 1307, after the suppression of the Knights Templar.

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Another legend has it that the Ottoman sultan Selim II invaded the island just to acquire Commandaria. Also that the grapes used to make this wine were the same grapes exported to Portugal that eventually became famous as the source of port wine.

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Samuel Baker wrote that in the late 19th century Cyprus had an annual production of about 385,000 litres. Of this, Cyprus exported more than half, mostly in Austria.

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Commandaria is made exclusively from two types of indigenous Cyprus grapes: Xynisteri and Mavro. The grapes are left to overripe on the vine and when sugar content reaches acceptable levels they are harvested. The grapes are then laid out in the sun to further increase the sugar density through evaporation. After that the juice is extracted thorough crushing and pressing.

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Fermentation takes place in reservoirs (nowadays steel ones) and will arrest naturally due to the high levels of alcohol achieved at around 15%. Commandaria by law is aged for at least four years in Oak Barrels under strict control and under the conditions laid down in Cypriot legislation.

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Once fermentation has been completed, the alcoholic strength of Commandaria may be increased by the addition of pure grape alcohol. However, after this addition, the wine's actual alcohol content may not exceed 20%, while its total potential alcohol (including its sugar content) must be at least 22.5%. Thus, Commandaria may be a fortified wine, but fortification is not mandatory. We do not fortify our Comandaria.

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Currently Commandaria holds a protected designation of origin (PDO) within the European Union, the United States and Canada. By Cypriot legislation passed, it is only produced in 14 neighbouring villages including Lania. The designated area has assumed the name of the Commandaria Region and is located on the south facing slopes of the Troodos Mountains at an altitude of 500-900m. 

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Through the ages Lania was producing a sweet type of wine, which was called "Kyprion Nama". Today you can see a wine press "Linos" built in 1822. Many years ago, the village had about 15 wine presses like Linos and many winemakers. Today the village has only a small winery "Akamas and Kariayiannis", which was founded in 2011 by two friends Yiannis Akamas and Christos Karayiannis  who have made the dream of their fathers, come true, by building their own winery.

They produce a highest quality of Comandaria, which you can taste and buy when you visit the Karydia-Walnut Tree cafe/bar. The cafe/bar is owned by a friendly couple, Christos and Diane Karayiannis.  They serve delicious local food under a grape vine in their beautiful garden.