Subsidies to be given for quality wines

The government is to replace the current subsidies given to wine makers for imported grapes with equivalent subsidies for exports of locally produced DOC and IGT wines, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.

Speaking yesterday to members of the recently set up Maltese Viticulture Association, Mr Pullicino said the move was intended to encourage more production of local quality wines.

The government would also embark on a promotional campaign for local wine.

However, he said, wine makers must agree on a policy for the use of DOC and IGT on wine labels.

The government will also be carrying out enforcement procedures to ensure no water or sugar is added to wine labelled as DOC and IGT as well as to ensure that the wine is made from the grape variety indicated on the label.

DOC and IGT are classifications that denote the quality of wine. DOC-certified wines (DOK in Malta and Gozo) are produced from grapes produced in specific well-defined regions and according to specific rules that allow them to retain a particular flavour. IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica and is used for a wine produced from a grape growing in a specific area where the vines can produce more grapes than DOK-certified wines.

Malta Chamber for Small Enterprises - GRTU director general Vince Farrugia said the association had decided to form part of the GRTU to have more muscle. The association has some 300 members so far but had the potential to grow to 500.

He said grape production had increased significantly in recent years and there were now 9,000 tumoli of land under vine, compared with 2,000 tumoli three years ago.

"Until now, there has been a lack of confidence in local wine because consumers were not sure whether the wine was a true wine or table wine. Changes in labelling should make this clear.

"The GRTU will also support viticulturists with the pricing issue. The supply of grapes is not something stable. We know that next year will be a poor harvest because of weather conditions and there can be no price fixing. This is a seller's market. We do not want to create conflicts with producers but viticulturists have to get a fair return for their investment," Mr Farrugia said.