Be Happy and Drink Well. Commandaria stands proudly as a testament to the viticultural excellence of Cyprus. In fact, Commandaria holds the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously produced wines in the world. Though produced for centuries, the roots of Commandaria can be traced back to the Crusades in the 12th century. It even won first place in a semi-legendary wine-tasting contest held in thirteenth century France.* It was under the rule of the Knights Templar and the Knights of St. John that the wine garnered its name. For this episode, I invite Dr. Antonis Constantinou, who served as Director of Cypriot Department of Agriculture and has published several authoritative books and articles to discuss the history of Commandaria! **CHECK OUT PATREON FOR AN IMAGINING OF THE BATTLE OF THE WINES!**The Battle of the Wines (La Bataille des Vins in French) is a poem written by Henry d'Andeli in 1224. It describes a supposed historic wine-tasting event organized by King Philip Augustus of France. Over 70 wines from various regions, including France, Spain and Cyprus were sampled and judged by an English priest. The wines were divided into two categories: "Celebrated" for those he approved and "Excommunicated" for those that did not meet his expectations. In the end, a sweet wine from Cyprus, thought to be Commandaria, was named the winner and given the esteemed title of "Apostle."You can find Dr. Antonis Constantinou's book, "The Legend of Commandaria," on AMAZON!