The flavor of oak in wine of Malta

Discover the of Malta wines revealing the of oak flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).

More information on of Malta flavors

Malta is a small island (25 miles / 40m Long) located in the CentralTurkey/mediterranean">Mediterranean Sea, 80 km South of Sicily. Wine growing on the island dates back to the early 16th century, when the Knights of St. John of Israel/judean-hills/jerusalem">Jerusalem (or Knights Hospitallers) arrived on the island, bringing with them centuries of wine-making tradition that accompanied them from Jerusalem (in present-day Israel) to Cyprus, via Turkey and Rhodes. In the early 19th century, the arrival of British ships (merchant and military) in Malta led to a decline in the island's wine production.

This was a departure from the precedent set in Porto, Jerez, Madeira and Italy/sicily/marsala">Marsala, all of which experienced a significant increase in their export-oriented viticulture. Many of Malta's vineyards and olive groves were uprooted in favour of cotton, a popular crop at the time. Within a century, however, the pendulum swung back in favour of vines; cotton production took off in the United States, which led to a significant drop in the value of Maltese cotton. Viticulture began to take over again (mainly for table Grapes at first) and continued to prosper despite the arrival of Phylloxera which swept through Europe in the 1860s.

The Maltese Climate is typically Mediterranean: summers are hot and Dry, winters are cool and wet. This allows for prolific yields when vineyards are properly managed (irrigation is necessary to make the most of the summer sunshine), as has been demonstrated in Sicily, just to the North. At 35 degrees south, Malta is, along with Cyprus, Crete and Pantelleria, one of the most southerly wine regions in Europe. Malta's main wine markets are domestic rather than international, so finding a Maltese wine outside of Malta itself can be a challenge.

The word of the wine: Gutedel

See chasselas.

What are the typical grape varieties with flavor d'oak of Malta?

News on wine flavors

Andrew Jefford: ‘Pinotism is a cult within the wine world. Why?’

The voice drops a little; the tone grows more reverential. Everyone knows; everyone understands. There will be wry allusions to a quest, perhaps even the grail. Sacrifice is expected en route; failure (always forgiven: a badge of honour) beckons on every side. Kitted up, your hopes armour-plated? I might be talking about planting vines on a cleared slope, or simply about taking the corkscrew to a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, but you all know by now what’s meant. Pinot Noir. ‘Pinotism’ ...

The Macallan Horizon created in collaboration with Bentley Motors

The concept, developed by design teams from both companies, borrows ideas from the automotive world in its use of a horizontal, rather than vertical, bottle design, and in holding back some important information about the product to be released at a later date. Macallan master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell has already finalised the liquid for Horizon, following a visit to Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, but no details about the whisky, its price or its availability, will be released until earl ...

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion launches new ‘Elements’ collection

The ambitious project named ‘Elements’ sees the launch of 1,000 meticulously handcrafted wooden presentation boxes each containing a different number and format of the estate’s wines. Taking inspiration from the shape of the cellars, designed by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry and completed in 2016, these unique showcases house either two double magnums, three magnums or six bottles that have been specially preserved in the estate’s cellars – a detail marked by a gol ...