More reason than ever to choose Maltese wine

While we cast our votes in favour of the planet one bite, one sip at a time, there is more reason than ever to prefer local produce such as our own wines. A look at good practices at Malta’s Delicata winery demonstrates how some thoughtful actions help bring about positive change, literally from vine to glass.

Firstly, choosing a local bottle has environmental benefits. As creators of a domaine of over 190 ha of new plantings over the last two decades, Delicata has contributed to the Maltese ecosystem with green lungs of vines that sequester carbon and reduce soil erosion from otherwise untilled land.

Buying a quality wine made in Malta also cuts greenhouse gas emissions since it isn’t shipped in from far-flung places. And Delicata’s bottles are also reused numerous times, thanks to the unique eco-friendly reusable glass bottle system.

The winery’s mantra is to reduce, reuse and recycle effectively, not just glass but also other materials, and to conserve energy by making buildings and winemaking processes energy-efficient with power-saving technology and renewable solar energy.

Taken as a whole, such mindful measures decrease the environmental impact of the winery and, it stands to reason, of every consumer who cares to choose Delicata.

By purchasing locally grown wine, you also stimulate the economy. After all, spending which otherwise would flow overseas is kept here, generating a healthy multiplying effect on the Maltese economy.

Delicata is a 100 per cent Maltese-owned family winery that is located in the heart of Malta and produces certified Maltese and Gozitan quality wines while working hand-in-glove with about 200 affiliated grape-growing families and other local stakeholders. Jobs are retained and created, and the winery acts socially responsible by giving back to the community.

Another compelling reason for any wine lover to ‘drink local’ is that Malta-grown wines are unique in that they are a droplet of our history and heritage. Only wines made in Malta by a Maltese winemaker can ever give an insight into the local culture and show what the Maltese land and its people can bring forth.

Hardly anyone though will support anything Malta-made just for the sake of it being local. First and foremost, the quality has to be there. The good news is that when it comes to Maltese wine, it is.

Maltese wines by Delicata, Malta’s most internationally awarded winery, are praised by wine critics and loved by many wine enthusiasts. The expert recognition and repeat custom can only deliver the unambiguous message that Maltese wines are on par with those of the rest of the world.

Never before has there been as good a motive to drink Malta-grown wines: the quality and the choice of different wine styles and varietals have all gotten better, greener and more sustainable.

This article by Georges Meekers was first published in the Times of Malta on 19/11/21.