The Maltese grape harvest started in earnest on 5 August 2014 with the picking of the first batch of Chardonnay grapes after the winery's head of viticulture and winemaking, Matthew Delicata, gave the green light.

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On 5 August 2014, the first hand-picked noble Chardonnay grapes from the Delicata domaine arrived at the winery’s grape receiving bay to be weighed in. After quality inspections, the crush of the first 17000 kilos of Malta-grown Chardonnay grapes started.

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We at Delicata are proud to have pioneered with this difficult-to-grow grape variety in Malta. Today, 14 years after our first Sauvignon Blanc vintage in 2000, the variety still generates excitement. Thankfully, the dedicated contracted farmers delivered gorgeous hand-picked grapes for potentially award-winning wines. High anticipation, more than met!

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More hand-picked Chardonnay from the Delicata domaine got crushed. The green-skinned Chardonnay is the most popular international variety for white wines in Malta. Before the actual process of fermentation starts, grapes destined to become white wine are processed and the Willmes press is a most instrumental tool in this process.

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Today Delicata harvested Moscato Bianco, a grape that has been grown for centuries in the Mediterranean. The leaves are medium sized; the grape cluster is of medium size and shaped as a cylindrical pyramid. The grape is medium sized, spherical in shape and characterised by a thin skin of yellowish green hues.

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Today Delicata harvested Viognier grapes and for the first time a small amount of Albariño, a grape variety which is hard to come by in Malta but which can be put to good use on its own or in a blend.

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Making rosé makes many a winemaker blush. Not so Delicata. It takes great skill and expertise to extract the right aromas, flavours and colour whilst predicting the way the final wine shall taste and look. Syrah grapes from Malta and Gozo were purposely picked early.

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Now, towards the middle of the harvest, healthy and rather ripe Vermentino grapes started rolling into the Delicata winery. The bunches are medium-large, pyramidal, and generally loose with grapes that vary in colour depending on solar exposure of the bunches.

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Delicata continues restlessly to harvest and crush grapes for the making of white wine. Mostly Zibibbo (or Muscat d’Alexandria), some Chenin Blanc and more Viognier got crushed. The crop was noticeably healthy and free from bird damage.

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Today Grenache Noir and Cabernet Franc for pink wines were picked and crushed - ahead of the quantities of these varieties still on the vine which is earmarked for deep purple red wine production later next week.

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After prolonged hang-time, substantial quantities of ripe Syrah and Merlot grapes were picked and promptly crushed with great care at the winery for the making of Delicata’s red wines. Favourable cooler night temperatures heightened the noticeable excitement at the winery caused by the titillating naked flesh of deeply red coloured grapes.

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More tonnage of mature Syrah and Merlot grapes passed over Delicata's weigh-bridge on 2, 3, 4 and 5 September. Small quantities of Nero d'Avola from an experimental vineyard were also well received. Meanwhile work in the cellar continues uninterrupted.

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Some Negroamaro, Graciano and Carignan, all grown in Malta, were crushed at the winery. But all eyes were on the high quality Gellewza grapes for rose wine production and, of course, Sangiovese for Malta’s mono-varietal Medina Sangiovese.

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The arrival of the indigenous green-skinned grape variety Girgentina at the Delicata winery signals the end of the 2014 crush. Only some more Cabernet Sauvignon and other red-skinned varieties remain.

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