I remember how about 10 years ago the hospitality sector in Malta lamented the lack of sommeliers for hire. Back then, the feeling was that more certified wine professionals with the aptitude to look after wine service lock, stock and barrel needed to join the ranks. Pessimists will say that wine service is still not [...]
The festive season is that time of year when some people get to try wine for the first time, especially when dining out. That’s when they come to realise that wine drunk at the restaurant table is a unique beverage having a set of manners all its own. Take the ritual of approval. Once you’ve [...]
Since 2007, Malta’s quality wines are subject to an appellation system controlled by the national regulator in accordance with EU law which nowadays categorises wines in two rungs, namely PDO (protected designation of origin) and PGI (protected geographical indication), replacing the QWPSR (quality wine produced in a specified region) framework. Each EU country may use [...]
Listing bottles on wine lists according to the soil type the grapevines grow in instead of by wine style, grape variety or winemaking region is the latest fad. I’m all for novelty but is this really a helpful way? It’s easy to see where this trend is coming from. Wine professionals and aficionados alike are [...]
Is Malta a New World or an Old World winemaking country? The most basic difference between Old World and New World wines is geographic. ‘Old World’ encompasses the traditional winegrowing regions of Europe, while ‘New World’ generally refers to the other winemaking countries. A bird’s eye view of Malta clearly shows that the islands are [...]