Delicata’s grape harvest starts

Delicata’s grape harvest is underway.

The first varieties to reach their optimum ripeness this year are the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay grapes from the Maltese vineyards.

The same varieties in Gozo will be harvested in the coming days.

This year’s vintage is generally low-yielding and slightly later than previous years but the quality is very good, Delicata said.

Other than a few days in mid-July, when temperatures exceeded 35°C, this year’s night and daytime temperatures during the ripening period were relatively cooler than in recent years.

This will result in wines that are more fruit-driven, with good refreshing levels of acidity.

Furthermore, the 2011 vintage Delicata wines produced from these two grapes will have more pronounced varietal characteristics.

Both varieties will undergothe fermentation process in state-of-the-art temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

The Sauvignon Blanc will eventually be bottled as the Medina and Gran Cavalier wines, whereas the I.G.T. Chardonnay will produce the Maltese Falcon and become part of the blend inPjazza Regina White.

The D.O.K. Malta Chardonnay will become Medina wines and some of the Chardonnay will eventually go into French oak barriques and after ageing become Grand Vin de Hauteville.

Some selected Chardonnay grapes will go straight into barrique where they will be barrel-fermented. This wine will eventually be released under the company’s flagship wine brand GranCavalier.

The next D.O.K. Malta white varieties to be harvested in the coming 12 to18 days will be Viognier, Moscato and Vermentino.

The white indigenous grape variety Girgentina will be harvested at the beginning of next month.