Shoppers, locals and tourists in Valletta were treated to the sight of men and women in red robes, white capes and red hoods preceded by performers from In Guardia, brandishing banners in the finest of outfits on a balmy Saturday morning last December. Red and white: the coincidence added to the confusion, especially among the tourists. To them, this seemed to be a parade by members of a Maltese entity.
Wine was the element of continuance for bonds between Malta and France
In truth, the red and white baronial group exiting from St John’s Co-Cathedral was a delegation of the Jurade of Saint-Émilion – all of them French, except one. But the tourists weren’t completely mistaken as this congregation does have a Maltese connection.
Situated 35 kilometres to the northeast of Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion is a World Heritage site rich in Romanesque architecture and vineyards dating back to the second century AD and considered as some of the best in the world.
In 1142, the marriage between King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine brought the Bordeaux region under the English crown. Later, in 1199, King John – John Lackland – conferred political, economic and judicial rights to important people in Saint-Émilion grouped under the Jurade to ensure the administration of the city. In exchange, the English crown had the privilege of the wines of Saint-Émilion.
The Jurade controlled the production and consumption of wine just as it controlled everything else. It oversaw the production of ‘fine’ wines, kept the iron that branded every single barrel, combated fraud and abusive practices and destroyed wine that was judged unworthy of the name.
Even when Aquitaine reverted to French sovereignty in the late 15th century, the Jurade’s rights, duties and powers continued until the French Revolution. Revived in 1948, the ‘Jurats’ (as members are called) are ambassadors of the wines of Saint-Émilion and aim to guarantee their authenticity and quality. But where does Malta fit in?
Before they moved to Malta in 1530, the ‘warrior–healers’ of the Order of St John had already established castles and commanderies in the Bordeaux region to care for and help pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land or those on the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.
They owned large swathes of land, including vineyards of the region. This past continues to this day and the Maltese cross still features on bottles of wines like Pomerol.
No words can equal the sensation of those present at the Mass celebrated by Fr Michael Agius at St John’s Co-Cathedral. Between prayers, one felt elevated to ethereal heights of inspiration when tenor Joseph Calleja (himself a member of the Jurade) and soprano Gillian Zammit performed at the cathedral.
I was reminded of French geographer Jean-Robert Pitt’s lecture on the foundations and fundamentals of the history of wine. His opinion on the history of wine being an essential part of our history, on the importance of wine in Greek religious rituals and in Christianity somehow brought to my mind the water turning into wine at Cana as recounted by St John.
There is something distinct to wine that no other drink offers. In fact, the question is “Is wine a ‘drink’?” Judging by the fact that apart from Champagne (or sparkling wines) no other wine is ever used to make a cocktail, I’ll readily state that wine is not just any other ‘drink’.
On welcoming the members of the Jurade the previous evening to the Résidence de France, I told the guests that winegrowers have that warmth of heart and the generosity of mind we epitomise during the festive season we were in. That winemaking is culture and art. That partaking in a feast with winegrowers is joining a family, sharing an art de vivre. That viticulture contributes to the preservation of a tradition, a savoir faire, an ecosystem.
To which, my friend, Michael Tabone, the only Maltese member of the Grand Conseil de la Jurade and architect behind the trip by the delegation added, “There are a hundred ways to make a wine, but only one to drink – with conviviality”.
I must say that it was a privilege for us to count among the people present in Żebbuġ, Città Rohan, that evening, a person like former tenor Paul Asciak who personifies the notion of joie de vivre.
The after-Mass event at the Casino Maltese saw the family of Maltese jurats (that already includes personalities such as President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, artist Kenneth Zammit-Tabona and Maestro Brian Schembri) grow by 10 other personalities: Albert Grech, Pascal Demajo, Andrew Ganado, soprano Gillian Zammit, Simone Mizzi, Baroness Christianne Ramsay Scicluna, Alex Arrigo, Simon Pace, Albert Cilia Vincenti and Fr Michael Agius.
At the Grand Masters’ Palace, during the charity lunch hosted by President George Abela in aid of the Community Chest Fund, Jean-François Quénin, president of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion, addressed the 200 people present, saying there was something specific to Malta that he didn’t feel during his visits across the world: a distinct sense of familiarity. By the end of the meal, the ambience had veered from the familiar to the fraternal.
On that day, wine was the element of continuance for bonds between Malta and France. Today, I would like to raise a glass to the year ahead. May it be one of fraternité between our countries and our neighbours.
Mr Alexis is charge d'affaires ad interim at the French Embassy in Malta.