Grapes Wanted!

Grapes Wanted!

Farmers come meet Delicata at AgriFair 2024

If you have a plot of agricultural land and wish to learn more about starting up a commercially viable vineyard in Malta or Gozo, make sure to visit the Delicata winery’s stand 75 at the Malta AgriFair 2024 from 12 to 14 April at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre, Ta Qali.

Delicata, Malta’s most awarded winemaker, encourages farmers and aspiring grape growers to come and meet the winery’s viticulturist to inform themselves about the company’s established ‘Vines for Wines’ project and its benefits for affiliated members.

The Delicata ‘Vines for Wines’ scheme, which is headed by a team of viticultural experts under the supervision of head winemaker Matthew Delicata, has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1994.

30 years ago, Delicata conceptualised this unique viticultural programme with the aim to start cultivating an array of grape varieties in Malta and Gozo together, hand in glove, with the local farming community.

Delicata’s innovative idea has meanwhile born fruit – quite literally – and proven itself as a very practical arrangement between an army of farmers and the winery.

Today, Delicata provides free expert advice and hands-on assistance to more than 200 local grape growers using modern quality planting and cultivation methods from whom the winemaker obtains over 20 different international grape varieties.

In addition, more farmers are growing Malta’s indigenous Girgentina and Ġellewża exclusively for the winery. Delicata has been championing their existence and revival for many decennia and these uniquely Maltese grapes play a vital role in the winemaker’s winemaking philosophy.

The tapestry of all these family-run pocket-sized vineyards monitored by the winery is what sets Delicata apart – and with great success.

Grape quality keeps on improving and the connection with wine is simple: the better the grapes, the better the resultant wine. The winery’s critically acclaimed wines are a lesson in what can be achieved when many helping hands join the cause.

Crafting Maltese wine of world-class excellence means matching the right site with the right grape variety, the right soil, rootstock, trellis system, row orientation, slope, and pruning regimen. Delicata implements an unparalleled site-specific approach and transfers years of experience and up-to-date transferrable knowledge of local viticulture to the affiliated vignerons.

The resulting award-winning Maltese wines are objects of great local pride. They are so sought-after by many a wine lover that more quality wine grapes are wanted to match the demand for more Delicata D.O.K. Malta, D.O.K. Gozo and I.G.T. Maltese Islands wines.

The Delicata winery remains steadfast in the pursuit of more land to put under vine for the company’s Maltese wine brands. Still more farmers are needed to grow grapes to meet the ever-increasing market for Delicata’s local quality wines.

Malta’s foremost winemaker encourages anyone with land available for grape growing to learn more about Delicata’s advisory viticultural services. If you are an aspiring grape grower, come speak to a Delicata representative at stand 75 at the Malta AgriFair or contact the winery for a free consultation anytime at your convenience through www.delicata.com.