An initial tasting of Delicata DOK wines

This year new wine accreditation processes have been introduced for the benefit of the consumer. Jo Caruana popped to the Delicata Winery to discover more about how this will improve the local produce.

As a (disappointedly) non-wine enthusiast, the whole idea of viticulture and wine making can be a bit enigmatic. So when I was invited to spend time down at the Delicata Winery I jumped at the chance to learn more about the ancient art of wine making. And what an art it is.

The Maltese wine industry can trace its routes back to Phoenician times and the Delicata family winery is now 100 years old and is in its fourth generation.

At this time of the year, the team, based in Marsa, is just wrapping up the grape-crushing process after two months of constant pressing to gently squeeze the juice out of our rich Maltese grapes.

"We've been at it since early August," explains Delicata's Bill Hermitage as machines whirr in the background while vine leaves and stalks inch past on a conveyor belt. "At this point we are processing the last of the grapes which will be systematically turned into a variety of Maltese wines throughout the year."

For the first time this year, and in line with EU requirements, Malta has an accreditation system to follow when it comes to wine production. Unique to Malta the DOK (Denominazzjoni Origini Kontrollata - Controlled Origin Denomination) is regulated as part of the government's Viticulture and Oenology Unit and guides the production of wine from the day the first grape is grown right up until it is bottled and sold.

"The fact that Maltese wines can now get DOK Malta or DOK Gozo accreditation is great because it means that the consumer knows exactly what they're getting. They know that if a label on a bottle of wine says it is Maltese, then it is, and simultaneously it has been produced to strict specifications."

While this system is new to Malta it is not new to the rest of Europe and other parts of the world; enthusiasts and regular wine buyers will be used to spotting different letters on different bottles of wine depending on its origin.

"Each country has its own unique quality system which offers the consumer a guarantee that the grapes used to produce it come from a pre-determined designated region. These quality systems, found around the world in wine-producing regions, are specifically used to designate the origin of the grapes in question."

The system is used to regulate the actual grape, grape growing techniques and the yield and the winemaking procedures.

"The yield of each vine, depending on the type of wine that will be produced, is very important because it determines that the grapes will become more concentrated. A specific yield dictates the maximum weight of grapes that can be grown per vine."

But while the system will also regulate wine-making techniques, Mr Hermitage explained that DOK could not necessarily serve as an absolute guarantee of quality.

"While DOK is the system that regulates higher quality wines, it simply guarantees the origin of the grapes, however, for the most part, that in itself automatically denotes a certain style and approximate quality which will also be appealing for buyers."

Basically speaking, there are now three levels of wines for buyers to look out for.

"DOK is the highest level indicating quality wines and is specific to either Malta or Gozo. Below is another level known as IGT which stands for Indikazzjoni Geografika Tipika or Indication of Typical Geography and this level is the same for the whole of the Maltese islands. Wines in this section are still typical for the specified region but are of a higher yield and lower natural alcohol. Then, further below those in this section, come the table wines.

"This may all seem quite complicated but it is simply for the benefit of the consumer which is always a good thing. Now all farmers have to register themselves and their vineyards and specify what type of grapes (DOK/IGT) they will be producing from the word 'go'. This is then monitored by the government and, in the final stages, the wine itself will be approved abroad. DOK status will then be awarded and this will be printed on the wine labels for all to see."

Back in the winery and the de-stemming process was still well-underway; by now the grapes had continued their journey into a massive closed drum, the press.

"Here the grapes are all piled in on top of each other and the highest quality juice is extracted. Free-run juice trickles out thanks to the weight of the grapes and eventually the drum is rotated so that the top set of grapes is equally pressed.

"The next step is the pressing. The skin and pips are extracted and the remaining flesh is gently squeezed out of the grape," Mr Hermitage explains.

"Finally, the juice is transferred to the tanks via pipes to be fermented. For red wines the skins are left in contact with the juice; the longer they are left in contact the deeper and more intense the colour, will be. For rosé wine the skins are left in contact for a shorter time.

"As time goes on the natural sugar is eaten up by the yeast and the natural alcohol is created."

On my travels around the winery I am able to try a number of different Delicata DOK wines directly from the temperature-controlled, stainless steel, fermenting tanks in different stages of production.

For the whites, the Girgentina was the last in and still merely sweet grape juice; the Sauvignon Blanc, the furthest along, is juicy, sharp and clean-tasting; the Chardonnay, while harvested at the same time, is softer and less acidic; the Gozo chardonnay meanwhile is sweeter, riper and fruiter (and about to be placed into oak barrels for a few weeks to enhance the final result). Finally, the Moscato is aromatic and dry.

Across the table the reds are also coming along. The Gozo Merlot offers the palate a dry sensation that will eventually be softened in oak barrels; the Malta Merlot is a deep ruby colour and had an odd smell typical of wines going through their malo-lactic fermentation - however it was explained that that will disappear quickly and develop into something nice; the Cabernet Sauvignon was still fermenting and retained some natural sweetness and the colour will deepen with more time, but already the colour is rich and inviting; lastly the Syrah, which was leathery, ripe and almost peppery...

"Describing the way one feels about wine is very personal," Mr. Hermitage continues, "every smell and aroma evokes different feelings and memories in everyone. All of the wines go through different stages before they are finally ready to be consumed and the end result is often completely different to what we have tasted today.

"This will be a great year for quality wine in Malta and these new regulations will simply serve to improve the reputation of Maltese wines and the industry as a whole."