Meeting the Winos

Every time I visit Malta I try to meet as many of my friends as possible and surely one of the dinners I look forward too is the one I organise together with my wine friends and colleagues. In Malta most of the people involved in the wine industry work with importers who bring in loads of goodies to the island. Unfortunately most of these wines are not appreciated by many due to the avalanche of wines which sell at 2 Euros a bottle at super markets. Back to the dinner, it is usually made up of:


1. Great wines – the theme chosen for this dinner was Whites and Rosés, due to the heat which is hovering on the Maltese islands these last days.

2. Great company – handpicked wine friends who are not so easy to find yet the few that exist make exquisite company.

3. Good food and relaxed atmosphere – most food and wine dos are always so prim and proper, so this dinner we like to keep it as relaxed and easy as possible. This time we choose to have a light dinner at Munchies at Ghajn Tuffieha (Apple’s Eye ),one of the most beautiful bay’s in Malta.

After sending a few emails and reminders, all is set for a nice evening. Wines tasted throughout the evening range from Antinori’s bubbly Franciacorta to Trimbach’s racy Riesling to Scilio’s mineral Etna Rosato. My favourite wines from the evening were all of French origin. My first place goes to the rich and ripe Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive 2001 by Hugel. This was the last wine we tasted during this evening yet even if we were all mellowed out with the lovely wine we drank before, for me, as I put my nose in the glass the captivating bouquet takes you to an exotic fruit heaven of mango, lychee and papaya; the palate opulent yet aromatic.

Another French which I enjoyed was the Pouilly Fume 2007 by Domaine Des Marinier. I am a great fan of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley since their expression is based more on the mineral rich notes rather than on the aggressive exotic fruits like most examples coming from the new world. This wine combined lively acidity with cutthroat minerality leaving a mouth watering palate. It was the ideal combination with the mixed Maltese platter we had as starters; gbejniet, bigilla and Maltese sausage.

Just writing about such a lovely dinner makes me look forward for another wine bonanza with my good buddies! There is nothing better than great friends, great wine and food under a starlit Maltese sky