Malta and the Pink Wine Revolution
The tiny Maltese archipelago boasts two commercially viable native grape varieties. Thankfully one of them is dark-skinned so that, besides wonderfully fresh white wines, wineries can also craft interesting reds and inimitable rosés, a category that’s gaining in popularity. The grape I’m referring to is, of course, Ġellewża, Malta’s very own red cultivar, which apropos […]
Wine and Praline Extravaganza
It might be a strange-sounding combination at first. But, whereas a bar of chocolate would play havoc with a wine drinker’s palate, flavoured truffles and pralines can make for a very nice accompaniment to the divine nectar. The handcrafted chocolates from the Malta Chocolate Factory in Bugibba, for example, are excellent fare. Their little bonbons […]
The Unsung Heroes of Wine Service
I remember how about ten years ago the hospitality sector in Malta lamented the lack of sommeliers for hire. Back then, the feeling was that more certified wine professionals with the aptitude to look after wine service lock, stock and barrel needed to join the ranks. Pessimists will say that wine service is still not […]
Manners Maketh the Wine
The festive season is that time of year when some people get to try wine for the first time, especially when dining out. That’s when they come to realise that wine drunk at the restaurant table is a unique beverage having a set of manners all of its own. Take the ritual of approval. Once […]
10 Years of Wine Appellations in Malta
Since 2007, Malta’s quality wines are subject to an appellation system controlled by the national regulator in accordance with EU law which nowadays categorises wines in two rungs, namely PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), replacing the QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in a Specified Region) framework. Each EU country may use […]
