The much awaited harvesting of grapes for wine-making is over and the indications are that the year’s harvest is an excellent vintage, especially in terms of quality.

Marsovin director Jeremy Cassar said that this year the winery pressed a record 1.29 kg of grapes consisting of 10 varieties of white and 14 varieties of red grapes, out of an estimated total of 2.5 million grapes harvested in Malta. This represents an increase of 79 per cent over the 2007 harvest; 96 per cent of more than 1.28 million kilos are destined to be used for DOK and IGT wines.

Marsovin’s status as Malta’s premier wine producer is even more impressive.This record harvest is the fruit of 199 tumoli of Marsovin’s own estates, 1,096 tumoli of vineyards managed by Marsovin, but owned by 240 contracted farmers and another 175 vine growers who between them supply Marsovin with around 350,000 kilos of the two indigenous varieties, Ġellewza and Girgentina. Demand for Marsovin’s quality wines is increasing year by year, notwithstanding the widespread importation of foreign wines and the company is seeking to plant 300 tumoli of land in 2008.

"By 2010 we aim to reach a total of at least 1,600 tumoli to be able to serve the growing demand for our wines,” Mr Cassar said.“

To achieve this, we work very closely with the 380 members of the Assoċjazzjoni ta’ Vitikulturisti Maltin, who represent the large majority of all vine growers in Malta and Gozo.”Mr Cassar and viticulturalist Christian Cremona confirm that, this year, Malta’s temperate weather conditions improved the local harvest.