Winery pays tribute to national tree

Camilleri Wines is paying tribute to Malta's national tree which is in danger of extinction - the Sandarac gum tree, more commonly known as Is-Siġra ta' l-Għargħar - through the production of a limited edition wine called Mystic Araar.

This is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The production run of Mystic Araar, vintage 2006, is of 2,400 magnums (1.5 litre bottles) and will not be on sale but will be used by the winery to distribute on a complimentary basis.

"This is our tribute to an endangered tree and our initiative will seek to raise awareness in favour of the protection of our national tree," said Claudio Camilleri, head sales and marketing of Camilleri Wines.

"Our tribute however is extending itself beyond the production of this exclusive wine. In fact, we have decided to participate in the 34U campaign with the planting of 50 Sandarac gum trees by our staff at the Royal Malta Golf Club in Marsa, an area that is surrounded with industry where all the trees that have been planted on the site since the late 1970s are providing a green lung to all the neighbouring towns."

The trees are being donated to the Royal Malta Golf Club thanks to an arrangement reached between Camilleri Wines and the Malta Golf Association. Fifty trees will be planted every year for the coming three years.