The introduction without consultation of a wine tax threatened to undermine all that the local wine sector achieved in the past 10 years, Marsovin, Meridiana, Camilleri Wines and producer organisation Vitimalta said.

In a statement they said “we are as concerned with the uncompetitive impact of the tax – 20 cents per litre (15 cents per bottle) - as with the levity and lack of discussion with which it was presented”.

They urged the authorities to recognise “the exemplary role played by Malta’s promising wine sector to the benefit of consumers, farmers, and producers. At this critical juncture in its development, Malta’s fledgling wine sector deserves the government’s unmitigated support,” they said.

They noted that when Malta joined the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture was gravely concerned that the promise of ‘one of its key agricultural sectors’ would be extinguished by a flood of cheap imports from partner nations.

This notwithstanding, Malta’s negotiators, legislators, farmers, wine-producers, retailers, and consumers worked together to transform potential into reality.