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At a recent tutored wine tasting of Malta’s lesser-known grape varieties for members of the Algarve Wine Society, the white grape variety Viognier was hailed a clear winner.

The group from the Southern Portuguese Algarve region was made up of a number of wine professionals and wine enthusiasts, including an ex-CEO of Sandemans, the famous Port house.

The tasting took place at the InterContinental Hotel in St Georges Bay. Twenty people attended and tasted their way through the Vermentino, Zibibbo, Viognier, Grenache Noir and Malta’s indigenous red grape, Ġellewża. These were accompanied by some benchmark reds made from noble Malta-grown grapes Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

At the end of the 90-minute tasting, the clear favourite among the audience was the premium white wine produced from 100 per cent Maltese Viognier, Grand Vin de Hauteville from the 2012 vintage, with the red 2011 vintage Grand Vin de Hauteville Shiraz Cabernet coming in a close second. The wines were praised for their quality and varietal characteristics, but in particular for their value, especially when compared to similar wines produced in Portugal.