One of the joys of travelling to Malta is the trip down memory lane, and across the country, to get to the island of Gozo by boat. Gozo is many things – remote, relaxed, refined – and the opportunity to attend a wine tasting there was eagerly anticipated.
When you drive past the charming walled capital of Victoria, the buildings peel away from the roads so you spend some time surrounded by fields as you motor your way to the small village of Gharb. There, we were met by Marisa Hili of Tal-Massar Winery who escorted us along the final half-kilometre to the winery.
The island isn’t large so while you’re there you could also explore the mystreious Ġgantija
This is set along the north-western part of the island. We trudged into the fields and walked along the rows of vineyards, the soft soil collapsing underfoot with each step. The tour starts right there, on the fields, in the middle of nature, which is exactly where the wine is made, not in the winery.
Anthony Hili told us about how the wines are carefully made. He spoke about the acidity of the taste. He mentioned the use of Nero d’Avola grapes. He explained how the phases of the moon makes all the difference.
The 5,500 vines are spread on an entire hectare and as far as the eye can see. I stood there, ignoring the few other people in the group for a minute. There was a light breeze that tickled the large leaves of the vines. A few insects buzzed around, heading who-knows where. I could see a few small grapes, budding on the branches – the promise of a few good moments at a dinner growing stealthily merely feet from where I stood.
We adjourned to a small paved area where a proper wine tasting was held. Now that we knew all about how the wines are made, we had the opportunity to taste the fruit of Tal-Massar’s labours.
We tried rose, white and red wines; hints of fruit and watermelons, aromas of peaches and deep after tastes were accompanied by home-made sun-dried tomato pesto on Maltese bread, smoked Maltese sausages and sheep’s cheese.
I sipped, tasted and listened to Anthony’s expert explanations on how to carefully make the final wine that was in our glass. Behind us, several birds chirped and the melodic rustling of the wind in the vines relaxed us.
Their best product, in my opinion, is the Garb wine – a red, sweet wine stored in cherry wood barrels with hints of red fruits and a subtle chocolatey taste which is something I’ve never tasted in a wine before.
As afternoons go, this was one of the most pleasant ones I’ve spent on Gozo. If you do plan to visit the island, put aside a couple of hours, contact Tal-Massar and prepare yourself to be charmed, entertained and to discover the best of Mediterranean home-made products.