Commandaria - Cyprus’ Ancient Wine Tradition Recognised by UNESCO

by Antonis Mandritis, High Commissioner of Cyprus to South Africa

19 December 2025

Commandaria wine, deeply rooted in the millennia-old history of Cyprus, is a traditional sweet red wine produced in a cluster of villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains. Closely intertwined with the island’s natural environment, its production relies on indigenous grape varieties and time-honoured winemaking techniques. These include harvesting grapes late in the season, sun-drying them, and ageing the wine in oak barrels. Families, cooperatives, and wineries of varying scales contribute to its production, with the associated knowledge and skills transmitted informally through daily agricultural practices, family gatherings, festivals, and communal celebrations.

The safeguarding of this tradition is the result of close collaboration among community groups, wine professionals, and government authorities, all of whom support Commandaria wine producers. As an integral element of social customs, religious rituals, and culinary traditions, Commandaria is also linked to other traditional crafts such as drystone walling, basket weaving, and pottery. It is predominantly served as a dessert wine during significant life events, including weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies, and is commonly offered to guests as a symbol of generosity and hospitality. The making and sharing of Commandaria wine strengthens social bonds, fosters cooperation within communities, and serves as a powerful source of local identity and pride, connecting people to their land, history, and collective heritage.

In recognition of its outstanding cultural significance, Cyprus’ Commandaria wine has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage on 10 December 2025, during its session in New Delhi, India, alongside other notable inscriptions, including elements of Italy’s food culture.

With this inscription, Commandaria joins a select group of wine-related living traditions recognised on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, such as Georgia’s Qvevri winemaking, bush-vine training in Pantelleria, and the Winegrowers’ Festival of Vevey in Switzerland. By contrast, UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which focuses on tangible sites and cultural landscapes, encompasses a broader representation of the wine world, including renowned regions such as Tokaj, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, and Champagne.

The Guinness World Records recognises Commandaria as the oldest wine still in production, with origins traceable to approximately 2000 BCE. The wine has borne its current name since the Middle Ages, derived from the Old French Commanderie, referring to the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers at Kolossi Castle and their estate in the Limassol region from 1203 onwards. The earliest written references to the name appear in mid-18th-century Venetian documents and in Viaggi per l’Isola di Cipro (1769) by Giovanni Mariti.

This international recognition is a source of immense pride for all Cypriot citizens, including our compatriots living in South Africa. It serves as a powerful reminder of the poetic image of Cyprus as a “Golden Green Leaf thrown into the Open Sea,” reaffirming the enduring cultural legacy and shared identity of the Cypriot people.