Day Five: Tuesday September 1st: Delicata Wine!!

Back To The Upper Barrakka!
Greg needed to get some more shots of this Oasis and on our way to Delicata Wines, we stopped off to get them. It is amazing what this Barrakka offered. Here there was a clear view of one of the largest natural harbours in the world. It was this that made one of the most prized possessions in the Mediterranean ------and one of the most sought after. That is why every power wanted it since time incarnate. That is why the Great Siege took place and that is why the Axis Powers in the Second World War pummeled Malta. It was a matter of strategic location and an exceptional port of entry. It was here that Nelson sailed out for his faithful battle against Napoleon and it was here that every British warship in the Mediterranean fleet sailed into and out of on its way to meet the enemy. Now, there is a more peaceful note with luxury cruise ships coming in to visit the port with hundreds of tourists on board. Far cry from the ships that limped in during the fierce battles of WWII.
The Upper Barrakka witnessed all this and has remained a testament to the history that this little but important island has had. Now it is a place of solace and pleasure---of comfort and beauty. Let us hope that never again will it witness the ravages of war.
Delicata Wines
Bill Hermitage has a personality and stature becoming his name which is, of course, that of a very well known vineyard in the southern part of France---Hermitage. Bill was busy working with the "crush" when we showed up and quickly explained what was happening with the winery.
First of all, the winery had undergone a massive renovation campaign which saw it transformed from a older areas to one that was very modern in style. Apparently the inauguration was to be on September 8th and involved the President of Malta, Mr. Gonzi.
We went on to see the Merlot grapes that had just come in via farmers and discussed the winery with him. The 2009 vintage was a superb one since there was enough moisture but not too much rain. his meant that the grapes were disease free and rot free. From my tasting a few of them, I would have guessed the sugar content to be a very good 22 brix. Thus the alcohol level of the wine would probably come out to a 13 to 13.5 %.
Bill went on to say that the wine industry was just now coming of age. "From persons who would make anything into a wine and who then went into unrestricted grape used to a DOK system which is now beginning to dictate the hows and whys of making wines in Malta, we have progressed far," he said.
Bill described the fact that wine was made in some rudimentary form or another in Malta for over 6,000 years. It was only recently that Maltese began making serious wine. Now the state of the in presses, fermentation tanks and top of the line barrels are being used. His wines sure showed it!
The Wines
While Delicata has a full range of wines and they also import many brands from out of the country, we tasted four of the Maltese variety.
Medina Vermentino-Zibibbo DOK Malta: A blend of Vermentino and Zibibbo with a nice blend of flavours, citrus, some vanilla and nice clean acidic bit finish.
Piazza-Regina Red IGT Maltese Islands: A blend of Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese. While the Sangiovese is just a fraction of the blend it certainly makes itself apparent in the nose and the slight black pepper on the tongue. The Syrah of course is there with the dark fruit and ripe reds while the Merlot adds a bit of plum and black fruit as well as pepper on the finish. Nice wine!
Delicata Gelewza FrizzanteRose Demi Sec
This wine is making it big in Sweden. At a nightclub recently, tennis legend Bjon Borg was seen enjoying the above wine with singing pop star DeDe. The wine is made solely of indigenous Maltese grapes and has a fresh strawberry sweetness to it. The sparkle is quite refreshing especially on a hot day.
End Of Day Five