The last grapes from the 2011 Maltese and Gozitan grape harvest were pressed yesterday at Delicata’s state-of-the-art fermentation hall at the company’s winery on the Paola waterfront.

The last variety pressed was Malta’s indigenous white grape variety Girgentina following that of Ġellewża, Malta’s indigenous red.

All of the indigenous grapes accepted at the Delicata winery this year are of either DOK or IGT quality status. Pressing at the Delicata winery this year lasted six weeks and 18 different Malta- and Gozo- grown grape varieties were processed.

As is the case with this year’s Malta-grown international varieties, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Merlot, the two native varieties are more concentrated and of better quality than last year.

In general the 2011 Maltese grape harvest was low yielding, but as is usually the case in these circumstances, when the volume is down the quality is up, which is always good news for the consumer. Other than a few days in mid July, where temperatures exceeded 35 C, this year’s night and daytime temperatures, during the ripening period, were relatively cooler than in recent years.

The good news for the indigenous varieties was that the good weather prevailed right up until the last grapes were hand-picked, as was done at Delicata yesterday. The resulting wines should turn out to be more fruit-driven, more concen trated and have pronounced varietal characteristics.

The unique Girgentina grape variety is not only a good grape in its own right, but it is a good variety for blending, as it complements a number of other white varieties.

Eventually it will be used in Delicata’s DOK Medina range, its popular IGT Pjazza Reġina White and exclusively in the wine-makers white, semi-sparkling, Brut IGT wine Girgentina Fizzante. The unique Ġellewża variety will be fermented as a rosé wine and go into the IGT wine Pjazza Reġina Rosé (once its been blended with Grenache). It will go exclusively into the IGT Maltese Falcon Rose.

It will be used in Delicata’s popular IGT lifestyle rosé Ġellewża Frizzante, which is also bottled for export under the esteemed Swedish own label, Bodvar of Sweden.

For convenience purposes both of the Delicata Frizzante wines are now available with a screw cap closure.