A Chapter On Maltese Vermentino
Ten years ago, we had a hard time even spelling Vermentino. Yet today it’s one of the most promising white wine grapes in Malta. I can hardly believe that I didn’t even give Vermentino as much as a mention or a footnote in my guide to the wines of Malta at the time. I wasn’t […]
Winter Drought in Maltese Vineyards
As a wine enthusiast, you might have been speculating about the possible consequences of what has been recorded as the driest winter spell in Malta in the last 50 years on this year’s grape harvest and the yet to come 2016 vintage wines. The 76.3mm of rain measured during the three months since the start […]
The First Self-Opening Wine Bottle
Unveiled to much excitement at a press conference this morning, Avrilpuleg 1.4 is the revolutionary wine bottle closure that is self-opening. No corkscrew or other gadget is required since as soon as a wine glass is waved in front of it – as if it were a magic wand – the wine bottle opens itself […]
Around Your Palate – Exploring Tannins
Wine lovers are often heard sonneting about mouth-filling sensations. Some crude and harsh, aggressive even, others soft, as smooth as silk, velvety, furry or fleshy. These are all wine speak adjectives to describe the effect of tannins in red wine. Tannins are the subject of a huge amount of research and head-scratching by winemakers all around […]
Clearly Noble Chardonnay
Once upon a time, people drunk just ‘wine’. But it wasn’t long before they took in masses to Chardonnay and generic Chablis (unless they wanted Bordeaux or lighter red Burgundy). Soon enough white wine simply became known by the C-word. Chardonnay’s following spread fast like a wildfire, from aristocratic, double-barrelled Corton-Charlemagne to hip California on […]
