by Monique Chambers

I consider my self a bit of a foodie. I love to cook and especially Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Buying ingredients in Malta adds to the experience; the roadside stalls, the ‘nanna lampuki' and her bike full of fresh fish and the traditional butcher. There are a myriad of restaurants for when I have more guests than chairs, and with choices from the traditional to the trendy, serving almost any cuisine and more and more local wines.

I don't know if it's the description of a wine on a menu, the name or the price that draws me in, but I do know a bit more about how to appreciate different varieties, and of Maltese wine at that, after an evening of tasting.

Entering the cellars, one is greeted by a collection of tools of the trade and images from days gone by. Accolades of the winery's achievement in International competition over the past few years adorn the walls.

The company's wine specialist greets the group and gives an overview of how the oldest local producer's roots were planted almost a century ago.

They own five vineyards on Malta and Gozo with 175 tumoli of land between them producing a variety of wines and of course the only local ‘Champagne,' Cassar De Malte. The Maltese really ought to enjoy the leaps and bounds made in local wine production - the new selections are light years away from the concoctions my Nannu used to take pleasure in!

Driving around the countryside, one may think that vineyards are randomly placed and always next to a speed camera - but in fact - they are strategically located so that a micro-climate can be created to produce certain characteristics in each variety. The honey, vanilla, citrus and leathery notes one identifies exist not because they are ‘injected' but because of the soil, sea-breeze and sun- as well as the type of grape and the pressing and bottling procedure.

Locally grown wines benefit from a low acidity level because of the temperature - which comes into play right through the process and for maximum enjoyment. I was extended an invitation to help with the harvest in July and August (volunteers to join me are welcome) - personally, I would say this is the best time to visit the cellars as they are kept at a constant 12ºC..... Rules for serving of wines gets quite scientific, needless to say, the lighter the wine, the more chilled it should be.

Other wines produced locally can be borne from grapes bought from local farmers and of course imported and blended.

We were taken around the Cassar De Malte bottling facility and shown the laborious procedure to finish this award winning fizz - as well as having the secret of inserting a cork into a bottle which carries the same bar pressure as a truck tyre - unravelled before our very eyes! The tour ends with a gathering around a table laden with copious amounts of home-made food and a selection of wines to taste with a description of each. You almost feel guilty for sipping away at the treasured Marnisi.... Spittoons are on hand for those who require them.

Apart from walking away feeling very smug that such quality wines are grown and produced on my doorstep, one thing that has definitely stuck in my mind is that in general, the older the vine, the better the wine, so I shall continue to appreciate Maltese wine for years to come - at home or from a menu.