A €1.2 million project was this morning inaugurated at the Emmanuel Delicata Winery in Paola by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. Another €0.9 million are to be invested in the second phase, to be embarked upon later this year.
The project inauguarted yesterday incorporates a grape crushing area and a fermentation hall.
Mario Delicata said that there was also space for receiving, weighing and washing grapes as well as for the specialised stainless steel tanks for red wine
He said that with the new equipment, up to 100 tonnes of grapes could be crushed daily.
A lot of importance was paid to hygiene and the environment with major use of natural lighting being made. The roof was insulated, there were double walls and a solar system for water heating. Tanks were sterilised by steam eliminating the use of detergents almost completely.