Focus

Wine bars are sprouting all over the island. Herman Grech pours himself a glass of Shiraz and analyses why the sudden craze for wine.

The hip of sip

For hundreds of years, wine has been an antidote to the daily doldrums. It has served to boost people's moods as they grappled with life and helped to create the feeling of community.

The wine bar culture is enjoying a renaissance of sorts with a more diverse set of wine enthusiasts out in search of the perfect setting, selection and savings. Like the Ta' Kurun bars of yesteryear, and the Irish pubs of the 1990s, wine bars have become a staple signpost of the Maltese night scene.

Wine connoisseur Michael Tabone estimates that wine sales have gone up by 25 per cent in the last two years and wine imports have shot up by 40 per cent. Suffice it to say that recently a supermarket chain sold a container full of cheap foreign plonk in weeks, when before it used to take months. Mr Tabone believes the Maltese are now consuming 13 million bottles a year.

So what has led to this sudden love for wine? The EU has fuelled wine consumption in Malta the way Roman Abramovic's wallet has injected success to FC Chelsea.

Levies on all foreign wines were wiped out because of EU membership, which means each bottle is now being sold Lm1.50 cheaper.

One also has to keep in mind that most wines are now relatively cheaper than spirits, like whiskies, Mr Tabone said.

So the elite aura connected with wine drinking is being spirited away in part because of increased availability, with tens of brands on the shelves of most supermarkets, together with the proliferation of importers driving prices further down as they compete.

In the meantime, local vintners have embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign, which has encouraged the culture of wine drinking, according to Mr Tabone.

David Borg, owner of Ta' Stringi Wine Bar in Naxxar, which was inaugurated last week, says people are increasingly seeking an alternative to Paceville. Wine bars have been acting as a magnet for the over-25 segment, which nowadays is deemed "middle-aged" for some of the nightspots.

Hit any of the wine bar hotspots and the demographics have shifted as middle-aged vinophiles rub elbows with youngsters seeking affordable wines. More are out in search of establishments where they can have a social conversation while being spared the din of loud music.

"People are moving from one wine bar to the next, the way some people do bar hopping," Mr Borg said.

The idea has caught on and wine bars have recently opened in non-nightlife areas and villages like Birzebbuga, Tarxien, Lija, Vittoriosa and Balzan.

So which wines do the patrons go for?

"New World wines, especially Chilean, are particularly popular. Unfortunately, several people still prefer foreign wines even if some of them are rather inferior to the home produce," Mr Borg says.

Claudio Camilleri, head of marketing at Camilleri Wines, producers of wines like Laurenti, admits that the first year of EU membership dealt a hefty blow to sales, as people switched to testing foreign wines.

"People are gradually realising, however, that some foreign wines are in fact inferior - and that, together with the headway made by the local wines, has reversed the trend," Mr Camilleri said.

Wands general manager Pierre Stafrace says the reduction in price has brought about a greater awareness of wine but with time, people are also learning to go for better quality wines, even if they are more expensive.

"We noticed, for example, that over Christmas a lot of people bought Bordeaux wines instead of other alcoholic beverages. Even Irish pubs are stocking up more on wines," he said.

Del Borgo has been a success story, with the Vittoriosa wine bar fully booked practically on a daily basis.

Alan Mercieca Bons, the owner, says he was surprised with the overwhelming feedback to the extent that targets were met well before the Christmas deadline.

"It was a huge challenge to open a wine bar, especially in Vittoriosa, which, some people have admitted, they had never visited."

He says that the secret behind the wine bar is fine dining, apart from the enticing décor.

"We're actually putting a lot of effort into food, and dishing out specialities every day - though we are careful not to turn the bar into a restaurant."

So will the scores of wine bars dotted around Malta survive? And what will happen if the Malta Environment and Planning Authority gives the green light to the scores of applications for new wine bars?

Wine bar owners who spoke with The Times acknowledge it now boils down to the survival of the fittest in what has quickly turned into a saturated market.

Mr Tabone says that though most wine bars are owned or run by enthusiastic people, it is very evident that many are having problems finding knowledgeable staff to work and deliver the service that wine lovers demand.

Mr Tabone is also reluctant to spell out what really makes a wine bar.

"A lot of people assume that wine bars only serve cheese and salami, and therefore cut costs by not employing a chef. This is not the case. Such bars should also be serving quality food."

Mr Camilleri from Camilleri Wines goes one step further and believes the authorities should establish criteria to gauge which establishments to license as wine bars.

"We can't have so-called wine bars when the establishments look like garages and the waiting staff don't know the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet."

Wine: Some facts and figures

¤Over 400 studies worldwide, many of them long-term and in large populations, have concluded that most healthy people who drink wine regularly and moderately live longer.

¤Moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis may help prevent coronary disease and some forms of cancer.

¤Wine should not be consumed by people with inflammations of the digestive tract, peptic ulcers, liver disease, kidney or urinary infections, prostate disorders and epilepsy.

¤A couple of glasses of wine may help relaxation and lower blood pressure, but four or more raise blood pressure to a level of concern.

¤The best rule is to not consume more than one drink per hour, regardless of size, sex or a full stomach.

¤Overindulgence is potentially the worst health problem of consuming wine or any alcoholic beverage. Drinking too much ethanol at one time will cause headaches, nausea, and other symptoms, regardless of individual tolerance to other compounds in wine.

¤A typical glass of red wine includes 85 calories while a sweet white wine has 118 calories.

¤In pint-loving UK, it is estimated that the number of wine drinkers will soon equal those drinking beer.

The wine directory

The Cabernet Sauvignon wines owe their full-bodied complexity to the dark berry fruit and the oak barrels they are aged in.

Chardonnay is different from other white varieties because of its special fermentation and aging process. Special oak barrels give Chardonnays their unique nutty, toasty, buttery, and creamy aroma and can taste like pineapple, pear, green apple and vanilla.

The Sauvignon Blanc grape is extremely fragrant with grassy, citrus aromas. It is more spicy and acidic than the creamier Chardonnay blend.

Merlot is a very approachable grape that is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but with a less tannic finish. The dry, smooth taste of Merlot makes it one of the most requested wines in restaurants.

Semillon ripens early in the season and produces wines which are full-flavoured, rich and aromatic.

Shiraz is a full-bodied wine with a dark crimson colour and rich, pepper and plum flavours. Most Shiraz wines are matured in oak and many can be cellared for decades.