DAY Seven:Camilleri Wines A Trip To Swim With Tuna-------Yes! Tuna!!!
Camilleri Wines
Camilleri Wines is the newest member of a family business that is now in its Fourth generation. The actual winery was started in 1999 Using lands contracted to them, the owners have used Italian grapes to hone in on various techniques of harvesting and winemaking. The result came in 2005 when they made wine exclusively from their own Maltese grown grapes.
Presently they have 34 hectares of vineyards.
We accompanied them to their vineyard called Ta' Brja and looked at the Cabernet Sauvignon that had yet to be picked. It was very ripe and ready to go. Fortunately there was still some left on the vines for Greg to film.
Camilleri Wines comes under the umbrella of an older company started by the present proprietors' grandfather. John and Claudio began the winery in 1999 by importing Italian wines which they experimented on and perfected some techniques in their own way of winemaking. In 2005 they began using their own grapes in making wines.
Their store in Naxxar, a budding community, carries many of the Maltese wines including their own. They also import many wines from abroad (such as the Quinta do Portal which we visited in Portugal not too long ago). They are proud of what they have done and why shouldn't they be?
Wines
Palatino
Sauvignon Blanc:Pleasant elegant fruit, some herbaceous character.
Chardonnay:Apple/citrus, some melon and round fruit. Very nice.
Vermentino: Slightly herbal definitely fruity with nice crisp acid after taste/finish
Syrah: Pepper on nose and palate. Ripe black fruit, great mouth feel.
Merlot: Ripe red cherries on nose and palate. Some plum and blackberry, cassis and anise on palate and long finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Pepper, cassis, blackberry on nose and palate. Some chocolate mid way level and great black currant flavours. Long finish.
Lauenti Red: Very nice wine! Cherries, berries, plum with a backdrop of dark chocolate with a long finish.
Doce Vita: Nice Late Harvest wine with notes of apple/pear. Not as sweet as I anticipated at first. Nose was similar to palate though I was expecting some apricot. It fooled me and I got the apple and pear notes. Nice but not overpowering acidity.
A Swim With The Tuna
Most do not know that Malta has Tuna farms. What they also do not know is that if you have a friend who has connections i.e. Victor Bonello, you could actually swim with these 400 kilo creatures.
I opted not to swim as the huge boat made its way from St. Paul's Bay to the netting some two kilometres out to sea. But Greg, suffering bad tooth and all dove in for the experience. The Tuna were hard to see even though they were some two feet under but we managed to get some great shots of Greg out in the netting and also being escorted up the ladder of the boat.
It was fun but I felt great that I got to film and not get my bald head wet.
Later that day, Greg had to go to an emergency clinic to get his infected tooth looked at.
End Of Day Seven
Camilleri Wines is the newest member of a family business that is now in its Fourth generation. The actual winery was started in 1999 Using lands contracted to them, the owners have used Italian grapes to hone in on various techniques of harvesting and winemaking. The result came in 2005 when they made wine exclusively from their own Maltese grown grapes.
Presently they have 34 hectares of vineyards.
We accompanied them to their vineyard called Ta' Brja and looked at the Cabernet Sauvignon that had yet to be picked. It was very ripe and ready to go. Fortunately there was still some left on the vines for Greg to film.
Camilleri Wines comes under the umbrella of an older company started by the present proprietors' grandfather. John and Claudio began the winery in 1999 by importing Italian wines which they experimented on and perfected some techniques in their own way of winemaking. In 2005 they began using their own grapes in making wines.
Their store in Naxxar, a budding community, carries many of the Maltese wines including their own. They also import many wines from abroad (such as the Quinta do Portal which we visited in Portugal not too long ago). They are proud of what they have done and why shouldn't they be?
Wines
Palatino
Sauvignon Blanc:Pleasant elegant fruit, some herbaceous character.
Chardonnay:Apple/citrus, some melon and round fruit. Very nice.
Vermentino: Slightly herbal definitely fruity with nice crisp acid after taste/finish
Syrah: Pepper on nose and palate. Ripe black fruit, great mouth feel.
Merlot: Ripe red cherries on nose and palate. Some plum and blackberry, cassis and anise on palate and long finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Pepper, cassis, blackberry on nose and palate. Some chocolate mid way level and great black currant flavours. Long finish.
Lauenti Red: Very nice wine! Cherries, berries, plum with a backdrop of dark chocolate with a long finish.
Doce Vita: Nice Late Harvest wine with notes of apple/pear. Not as sweet as I anticipated at first. Nose was similar to palate though I was expecting some apricot. It fooled me and I got the apple and pear notes. Nice but not overpowering acidity.
A Swim With The Tuna
Most do not know that Malta has Tuna farms. What they also do not know is that if you have a friend who has connections i.e. Victor Bonello, you could actually swim with these 400 kilo creatures.
I opted not to swim as the huge boat made its way from St. Paul's Bay to the netting some two kilometres out to sea. But Greg, suffering bad tooth and all dove in for the experience. The Tuna were hard to see even though they were some two feet under but we managed to get some great shots of Greg out in the netting and also being escorted up the ladder of the boat.
It was fun but I felt great that I got to film and not get my bald head wet.
Later that day, Greg had to go to an emergency clinic to get his infected tooth looked at.
End Of Day Seven
posted by Chuck Byers - Wine Consultant | 8:54 AM
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