A Visit from Sylvia Wu, Decanter Magazine

What captivates me most about the viticulture and oenology scene in Malta and Gozo is the passion. And since Malta is such a teeny, weeny cluster of rocks; the fermenting vats of all that passion concentrated into such a teeny, weeny, weeny area of terra rossa soil and North West prevailing winds; the juice is so much juicier. (And by the juice, I mean the wine and the stories!)

Just last week, VisitMalta sent out their bajtra-signal for some social media coverage for a Gastronomy Sector initiative; this set us on a quest that, spoiler alert culminated in 39 tastings of Malta and Gozo’s finest wines across 3 days. 

An EnoGastronomic project guided by Joséf Bonello whose title is Brand Ambassador for Wines of Malta and Gozo, but I call him Son of Bacchus. Joséf knows his wines and has a big nook in his heart for Maltese and Gozitan wines; and his goal is to share that love and spread the awareness of our islands’ deep viticulture heritage, progress and market availability. 

One of those oenophiles with whom he wants to share this passion, Regional Editor at Decanter Magazine, Sylvia Wu. Her visit to Malta featured pour after pour of pure Mediterranean wine; spittoon and notebook close by, she tasted, she questioned and appreciated. I watched (and tasted senza spittoon 🥴) in awe. I learned a great deal from her; a journalist, an editor, a wine expert, a meticulous note taker, a thinker. She was the kind of person I could totally align with. Visit Malta again Sylvia; you’ve got friends here. 

But why did acclaimed wine expert Sylvia Wu, Decanter Magazine come to little old Malta? Because if you’re a seeker of the lesser known treasures in the world of wine; and a Mediterranean rock, as arid as it gets, claims to have premium wine… you kinda want to know if it’s true. So is Maltese wine any good? 

If you’re looking for something with a good acidity, and you’re used to premium wines like Chablis or Barolos; you’re going to notice that the altitude here in Malta and Gozo will not deliver such freshness and crispness, like that of a Riesling for example; or as much heightened fruit as good bottle of Malbec. 

Acidity is not everything though. It’s the backbone to structure, aging potential and balance, yes. But Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Barossa Valley, Rías Baixas all produce some indisputable bottles of excellence. How about we look at Maltese and Gozitan wines with this set of sunnies on instead? 

Truth be told, only Maltese wines enter our house. We don’t drink enough of it to say we contribute to the economy of wine on the islands, but it’s kind of the same rule we have with olive oil, honey, salt, prawns, tomatoes, citrus, strawberries, pork and other staples we can never go without (and now gin and balsamic vinegar thanks to Gozo Cottage: who also produce an interesting Chardonnay). We support local though not just because it’s local in some sort of communist regime, but because we think it fits with our lifestyle and follows our ethos and understanding of what is luxury. 

Today’s trend forecasters say that food is the new status symbol, in which case; the Maltese islands are right on trend with superstar status. Even with our wines. So what’s the story with Maltese wines? 

Read here for a run down through Malta’s wine history.