Green Paper M INISTRY for RESOURCES April 2012 and RURAL AFFAIRS
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THE MALTESE WINE SECTOR: A FOCUS ON QUALITY WINES Green Paper M INISTRY FOR RESOURCES April 2012 AND RURAL AFFAIRS 01. BACKGROUND: red wine grape varieties Syrah, Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot. In the Maltese Islands, quality wines having However, wines are increasingly being produced also from local a PDO denomination are labelled as DOK Maltese grape varieties: the white variety Girgentina and the red MALTESE QUALITY WINE variety Ġellew ża. These are either blended with other wines , i.e., wines with a “ Denomination of international wine grape varieties or else used exclusively to Controlled Origin ” or “ Denominazzjoni ta’ l- AND ESTATE WINES produce what are known as “single variety” or “varietal wines” in Oriġini Kontrollata ” in Maltese. which Girgentina or Ġellew ża make up 100% of the wine. Quality Wines having a PGI denomination The Maltese Wine Market – Focus on are labelled as IĠT wines , i.e., wines with a Quality Wines “Typical Geographical Indication ” or “Indikazzjoni Ġeografika Tipika ” in Maltese. In the Maltese Islands, there are currently sixteen registered commercial wine producers: eleven wineries are located in Malta, whereas five wineries are found in Gozo. Of these sixteen In 2010, the total production of wine (i.e. Quality Wine and Table wineries, ten wineries are registered for the production of Wine) from grapes cultivated in Malta and Gozo amounted to “Quality Wines”, whereas six are registered for the production of 15,340 hectolitres (hL). Of these 7,282 hL of DOK wines and “Table Wines”. 6,640 hL of I ĠT wines were produced in the Maltese Islands from a total of 1,981 tonnes of grapes (figure 1 and figure 2). This is equivalent to 971,000 and 885,000 bottles of wine Quality wines include wines having a PDO respectively. The production of Quality Wines (i.e. DOK and denomination , i.e. a Protected Denomination IĠT wines) in 2010, thus amounted to 91% of the total DOK IGT Table wine of Origin and wines having a PGI production of wines in our islands. denomination , i.e. a Protected Geographical Figure 1: Production of wine from local Indication . The production of Quality Wines in the Maltese Islands was grapes during the 2010-2011 wine campaign never so high. In 2007, i.e. just 4 years ago, the production of Both categories of wines are classified as Quality Wines amounted to just 36% of the total production of “Quality Wines Produced in a Specified wine in the Maltese Islands. This strong increase in the Region ” (QWPSR). Girgentina and Ġellew ża are indigenous grape varieties which are production of Quality Wines in the Maltese Islands over just a particular to the Maltese Islands and are not found in any other few years is evidence that the consumer is constantly seeking wine-producing country. They are thus purely Maltese and wines that are of a high quality and are aware that the therefore add unique character to local wines, distinguishing them denominations DOK and I ĠT on wine labels are a guarantee of Quality Wines are produced from grapes grown solely on the from wines produced in other countries. The increasing presence islands of Malta and Gozo, respecting the highest of quality the quality of the wine. on the market of Quality Wines, produced from our local wine standards. Grapes, from which PDO and PGI wines are produced, grape varieties, such as Girgentina and Ġellew ża, is proof that the are cultivated under strict conditions. There are, for instance, Quality Wines, which are produced in the consumer is specifically seeking wines that are produced from limits on the amount of grapes produced per hectare. Lower local wine grape varieties. yields are favoured so as to guarantee that the grapes mature Maltese Islands are produced from grapes that uniformally and are rich in sugars and aromas. In order to are cultivated in Malta and Gozo. produce Quality Wines, the grapes must also respect other Quality Wines parameters, such as a minimum contrentration of sugars, below The wine grape varieties, from which these Quality Wines are which these grapes cannot be used to produce Quality Wines. DOK and I ĠT wines are Quality Wines that are easily identified produced, are mostly international varieties, such as the white by the presence of a “collar label” or “banderole”. This is pale wine grape varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc and the green in colour for I ĠT wines and yellow for DOK wines. Both Green Paper : The Maltese Wine Sector: A focus o n quality wines Page 2 are made from a security paper that is marked with the initials of respectively for red wines for all wine grape varieties, except for the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs (MRRA), which DOK wines are split into two main categories: the local Girgentina and Ġellew ża. For these two local wine may be easily viewed under UV light. DOK “Malta” and DOK “Gozo”. grape varieties, the minimum natural alcoholic strength should Ġ ż not be inferior to 9.5%. In addition, for the ellew a variety, the DOK “Malta” wines can only be produced from grapes grown on minimum total alcoholic strength should not be inferior to 10.5%. Ġ ż the island of Malta whereas DOK “Gozo” wines can only be These values are lower for Girgentina and ellew a because produced from grapes grown on the island of Gozo. Both these two varieties are known to reach a lower sugar denominations of origin are reserved for red, white and rosé concentration at harvest and thus give lower alcohol wines. These wines, as well as varietal wines, i.e. Quality Wines produced limits ensure that the grapes that are harvested for the production Ġ from grapes of a single wine grape variety. of I T wines reach an optimum quality at harvest. Regulation 3 of L.N. 416 of 2007, lists the wine grape varieties from which DOK wines can be produced. This list includes both international and local red and white wine grape varieties. Regulation 5 of the same legislation lists the maximum production of wine per hectare of vineyard, which is allowed for the production of DOK wines, as well as the minimum natural Red and rose' White alcoholic strength, which the grapes must possess in order to be suitable for the production of DOK wines. The restrictions ensure Figure 2: Production of red, rose and white that only grapes of the highest quality are used in the production wine in the Maltese Islands during the 2010- of DOK wines. The limits on minimum natural alcoholic strength 2011 wine campaign (figures comprise ensures that at harvest, the grapes are rich in sugars and have thus values for DOK, IGT and table wines) reached the proper stage of maturity before they are harvested. On the other hand, IGT wines make up a single category, i.e. IGT “Maltese Islands”. Banderoles are issued to wineries by the Viticulture and Figure 3: A vineyard f or the production of Quality Oenology Unit within the Agricultural Directorate, as proof of Wine located in central Malta quality of these wines. The presence of the banderole means that the wines have been produced under strict conditions in order to IGT “Maltese Islands” is reserved for red, white and rosé wines, Apart from DOK and I ĠT wines, which are classified as Quality guarantee a high degree of quality to the consumer. as well as varietal wines, which have been produced from grapes Wines, another category of wine exists. This comprises Table grown on the islands of Malta and Gozo. These wines may be Wines, which are wines that are produced from grapes that can be The production of DOK and I ĠT wines in the Maltese Islands is produced from the wine grape varieties that are listed in the cultivated in the Maltese Islands or else in other countries in the regulated by the “DOK Wines Production Protocols Regulations, “Classification of Vine Varieties (Production of Wine Grapes) EU and also in third countries. The grapes that are cultivated for 2007” (Legal Notice (L.N.) 416 of 2007) and “IĠT Wines Regulations, 2006” (L.N. 188 of 2006). This list includes the production of Table Wines are not required to satisfy the Production Protocols Regulations, 2007” (Legal Notice 167 of international and local red and white wine grape varieties. quality parameters that are reserved for Quality Wines and in 2007), both issued under the “Wine Act, 2002” (CAP 436). These Ġ addition, the yield of grapes per hectare of vineyard tends to be regulations lay down the definitions and technical specifications In order to classify as I T wines, the production in hL/hectare of much higher than the yields that are permitted for Quality Wines. of the DOK and I ĠT wines, respectively, and all the quality vineyard must not exceed 125 hL/Ha for white and rosé wines parameters that must be respected during their production, in and 120 hL/Ha for red wines. In addition, L.N. 167 of 2007 sets In the hierarchy of wines, DOK wines are found at the top, order to classify as such wines. limits on the minimum natural and total alcoholic strengths for because there are stricter parameters, which the vine grower and grapes, for the production of IGT wines: 10.0% and 10.5% winemaker must respect in order to produce a wine which merits repectively for white and rosé wines and 10.5% and 11.0% Green Paper : The Maltese Wine Sector: A focus o n quality wines Page 3 the DOK denomination. These stricter limits are set to ensure that dictate that a DOK wine must be sold at a higher price that an Special Wine Mentions under L.N.