Local quality wines to carry special seal

No bottle of DOK or IĠT 2009 wine can be placed on the market without a banderol that serves as a seal of quality assurance, according to a legal notice published this week.

The banderols will be provided by the Viticulture and Oenology Section, within the Rural Affairs Ministry, after it is satisfied the wine has undergone the whole process of control to be certified DOK (Denominazzjoni ta' Oriġini Kontrollata) or IĠT Indikazzjoni Ġeografika Tipika).

The DOK designation is attributed to wines which classify as of the highest quality, while IĠT defines the geographical location of the grapes used to produce the wine but is more lenient than the DOK.

Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said it was gratifying that 10 wineries in Malta and Gozo were taking part in these quality schemes.

Since 2007, 137 DOK and 61 IĠT wines have been certified, which meant that Malta's position as a good-quality wine producer continued to be strengthened, Mr Pullicino said yesterday.

For the first time, he said, additional aid was being received from the EU to the tune of €1.5 million over three years, starting this year.

The analysis of local wine samples is being done at the Enoteca di Siena in Italy, set up in 1933. This collaboration was giving a push for quality wine production, Mr Pullicino said.