Last week I was invited aboard MSC Splendida, during its weekly stop over in Grand Harbour, to lecture the ships L’Olivo restaurant management and staff about the attributes of Malta’s wine.

MSC Cruises, handled locally by Hamilton Travels, has created something truly special for MSC Splendida, a completely new concept in cuisine that takes you on a gastronomic tour of the Mediterranean every time you dine. This tastefully sumptuous restaurant is called L’Olivo, in homage to the olive tree which has contributed so much to the rich and diverse cultures nurtured by the ocean. The restaurant aims to deliver the living essence of these cultures, their aromas, history, and of course their tastes. And that philosophy not only applies to the food but to the wines as well and that was the venue for my tutored wine tasting.

L’Olivo offers select authentic food delicacies from 14 different Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey, each prepared to the highest standards using only the finest ingredients from their traditional areas of production. The wines on the L’Olivo Lista Vini are from 13 countries: Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Israel and Portugal.

The wines representing Malta, selling at €27.00 each, are two wines from Delicata’s Medina range of D.O.K. Malta wines. The white is the 2007 Medina Vermentino Zibibbo described by the restaurants Sommelier as “Straw yellow colour with greenish flashes. Fresh, aromatic, slightly grassy bouquet with a lovely citrus note. This is a well balanced, good structured, pleasantly fresh wine”. Interestingly it is priced higher than a fairly comparative Italian Vermentino selling at €24.00. The Malta red wine is the 2007 Medina Syrah Carignan Grenache described as “Bright ruby red colour. Soft and pleasant aroma. In this wine are united the best varietal characteristics: the intense fruity body of Syrah grapes, spicy flavour of the Grenache, bright colour and aroma of the Carignan”.

The wine list is a well balanced list with just over 40 listings, which is fairly concise considering there are 13 countries represented. The tasting was held in the restaurant itself, located on the 15th level, the ships top deck overlooking a small pool area at the stern of the ship. It was attended by the ships catering manager as well as the restaurant manager, the ships Sommelier and other members of the L’Olivo wine waiting staff. The idea of the exercise was to familiarize the wine staff about Malta’s wine in general so that they would be in a better position to advise clients more informatively regarding winemaking on the islands and in particular about the two wines they are selling.

The tutored tasting consisted of six wines; The 2008 vintages of the two Medina wines they are selling in the restaurant so they could compare them directly with the 2007’s thereby getting a ‘heads-up’ on the vintage to come; two of the new Delicata I.G.T.Maltese Island wines 2008 Pjazza Regina Rose and 2008 Pjazza Regina Red, both made from exclusive blends of grape varieties; and finally two of Delicata’s premium wines, a barrel fermented 2007 Gran Cavalier D.O.K. Malta Chardonnay and a barrel matured 2007Gran Cavalier D.O.K. Malta Syrah. All of the wines received very favourable comments; the Medina and Pjazza Regina wines were liked for their fruity, fresh, easy drinking styles and particularly in the reds the very soft, approachable tannins. Understandably the more expensive Gran Cavalier wines ‘stole the show’ with both wines getting a lot of praise, especially for the subtle use of oak in the Chardonnay and the complexity and smoothness of the Syrah.

 
Diners at L’Olivo are encouraged to either savour a single culture throughout each succulent meal or, for example, truly explore the Med by relishing your appetiser in Egypt, your main course in Croatia and your dessert in France, thereby completing a tour of the Mediterranean all in one night! Furthermore, the dishes served are the authentic cuisine of these countries and is prepared to the highest standards using only the finest ingredients from their traditional areas of production. MSC Cruises not only insists on certified-origin speciality foods and wines, but likewise maintains tight control regarding the origin of all its ingredients for every cut of meat, every vegetable and every one of the 31 varieties of fish and seafood served.

According to one ships restaurant critic “The alternative restaurants on Splendida are where the cuisine really shines. L'Olivo is the Mediterranean specialty restaurant where the entire menu is a la carte. Appetizers began at €3 to €7, including Cioppino soup or tuna Carpaccio. The lamb chops served on a bed of mango risotto are out of this world, and the Mediterranean lobster with a tail as long as the plate is wide is a joy to behold”.