The 12th edition of the Delicata Wine Festival is being held at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta between Thursday and next Sunday and a week later – from August 16 to 18 at the Council Gardens in Nadur, Gozo.

Entrance to the gardens is free but if you want to drink wine, you can purchase a wristband and a souvenir glass for €12 – which is then yours to keep – and try as many of the wines on offer as you like, as often as you like.

Besides an assortment of over 22 quality DOK and IGT wines available at both festivals, there will be a variety of hot and cold Maltese, Gozitan and international food items on offer.

During the Valletta festival, a fully-seated Grand Harbour Grill restaurant will be operating at the Saluting Battery, where diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the harbour and the floodlit Three Cities.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 2375 1930 or sending an e-mail to events@islandcaterers.com.mt.

There will also be a seated restaurant area at the Council Gardens in Nadur, overlooking the Gozo channel and Comino, operated by La Stanza restaurant.

Live entertainment in Valletta will be provided by Janvil, Big Band Brothers (Thursday), The Spiteri Lucas Band (Friday), The Crowns (Saturday) and George Curmi (Il-Pusé) and his band will be closing off the event on Sunday night. In Nadur, Janvil, Cash & Band (Friday), Red Electrick (Saturday) and Spectrum (Sunday) will entertain the crowd.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens lift will be in operation every night until 1am at its normal cost. In Gozo, there will be a regular shuttle service (€2 per person, return trip) and Arriva buses operating each night between the Mġarr ferries and the festival in Nadur.

For more details, visit www.delicata.com or http://facebook.com/DelicataWinery page.