Day Ten----September 6th, Still in Gozo

Off To The Vineyards
Morning came quick and I got ready for breakfast. I knew that I was to meet the oenologist from Delicata wines, a Mr. Bonello, to be taken to the vineyards in Gozo, After a good breakfast at the Calypso, we went to visit the vineyards. After a visit we were off to the Citadel which is like Mdina in Malta a walled fortress with a small town inside.
Citadel
The Citadel was known to be a fortified camp as early as the Bronze Age some 3500 years ago. The succeeding inhabitants were the Phoenicians who improved the fort defences and later he Knights of Saint John, fortified the Citadel further to protect against pirates and Turkish invaders. The fort fell when an invading force under the infamous Turk Dragut attacked it and took most of the population as slaves. In 1565, with a victory in Malta, the Knights regained the Citadel and further reinforced it. It looks much like it did then today.
The Citadel had some nice sites to visit such as the Cathedral and Museum. Just looking from the top and seeing the countryside may have been enough for most but historic items were there to see.
Fungus Rock
We took a trip to see the much viewed Fungus Rock which is basically a large rock separated from the mainland by a few metres but it is said to have a very special fungus that can cure almost anything. The fungus grows wild and I suspect that the rules about leaving the rock alone is to protect this indigenous species lest people pick it to extinction.
Azure Window
The Azure Window in Dwejra is a large rock structure that seems to just rise out of the sea. Divers sometimes go down to view the caves beneath. They sometimes get into trouble. Two divers were seen by me calling for help. That was confirmed by another person and we went to get some help. Help was called and I hope that all turned out well.
Salt Flats
The group of us also went down to the Salt Flats which were rectangular pits dug into the soft limestone rock at the edge of the sea shore. The pits trapped salt water which was brought up by wave action or by physical hand pumping. The water would evaporate leaving the salt behind.
Greg had the opportunity of interviewing the owner and that proved quite the experience since he was the fourth generation salt farmer in the area.
Lunch
Lunch was held at a restaurant called "Il Kartell"----Greg having the Lampuka Pie and me having the Fish Soup and Cannelloni Pasta. The meal was delicious and typical Maltese.
Ta' Mena Winery
Ta Mena Winery is a smaller but basically delightful of a single operation run by a very dedicated person. The wines of Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonnay, Vermentino, Sangiovese and Merlot were all remarkably healthy and the wines tasted excellent. Mr. Spiteri, the owner, seemed a passionate man who was extremely kind. Any who doubted this would only need to see the four dogs that followed him around as chicks to a mother hen.
The dogs were the highlight of my tour of this winery but you should have seen them to believe how much they loved this guy.
I tasted his wines!
Wines
Chardonnay 2008: Pleasant with citrus and melon on nose. Grapefruit citrus on the palate with some butter. Nice wine. Light.
Vermentino 2008: On the nose it has some pepper citrus and melon. On the palate there was citrus and pear with a nice acid finish. Nice wine.
Masamena Merlot: Good body and structure. Pepper, spice and black fruit on nose with some ripe red fruit and black cherry on palate. Nice finish.
Tal Latini Cabernet/Merlot: Nice wine with cassis and blackberry/plum on nose and blackberry, plum, prune and ripe cherry on the palate. Lingering finish. Medium bodied.
Ta'Mena shows what a serious pearson can do with vines. The agriculture is terraced and the water is delivered by a windmill built in the 1930's.
Spiteri also has tomatoes, capers and other farm vegetable products for sale. Great place for tourists to visit!
After the winery visit we went to the wharf where the ferry to Malta took us back home and to the Fortina Hotel.
Great Day.
End Of Day Ten