The winemakers at Emmanuel Delicata have for years endeavoured to produce a good, full-flavoured red wine from the indigenous Maltese red grape variety Ġellewża.

So far, only rosé wines have been produced from this unique, juicy grape variety at the Delicata winery. Ġellewża is packed with all the necessary ripe fruit flavours that are fundamental to producing the very best quality of rosé wines, as the many international medals won will testify.

But for the very first time, after years of determination together with the recent installaton of modern equipment, winemaker Matthew Delicata has produced a full-flavoured red wine made entirely from the Ġellewża grape that will be released next week as part of the company’s Medina range of QWPSR (quality wine produced in a specific region) wines.

At present, the Medina range of quality wines consists of 10 grape varieties and blends. This 11th Medina, the Ġellewża red, follows five other red wines in the range: Medina Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese and Syrah Carignan Grenache.

This wine should ideally be drunk at room temperature

The 2014 vintage Medina Ġellewża is made exclusively from hand-picked grapes grown on traditional bush vines, grown in very select vineyards chosen by Delicata. The resulting wines’ appearance has good intensity, with a deep purple colour. On the nose it is soft, slightly spicy with hints of cassis and liquorish, while on the palate it is fruity with ripe red berry flavours ending with a juicy, full finish.

This wine should ideally be drunk at room temperature and will always benefit from one hour’s breathing time (as with all red wines) before drinking. It can be enjoyed on its own or as an accompaniment to red meats, meat-based pasta dishes, pizza, poultry, game, cured meats and strong cheeses.

For anyone visiting this year’s Delicata Classic Wine Festival between August 6 and 9 at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, the Medina Ġellewża Red will be available to try for the first time.