Thursday, February 26, 2009

White Wines of Malta.

During my regular search for wine that is a little different, I came across a bottle of Delicata Medina Vermentino Zibibbo on the supermarket shelf at around €5.00 a bottle. This locally made wine came as a pleasent surprise and is highly recommended. A blend of 2 grapes Vermentino grown mainly in Italy and used in the wines of the Liguria area, Zibibbo I have to admit is a grape I am not familiar with, regardless of my vast wine knowledge, a google search tells me that this grape is widely grown on Pantelleria, a small island off the north coast of Sicily.

What a wonderful light summer wine this is (I know it is not summer) I can see it being a regular tipple during the coming summer months, this bright clear white wine, has an aromatic slightly citrus nose, a little grassy (a la sauvignon blanc). The taste reminds me a bit of a Gewurztraminer crossed with perhaps a Pinot Griggio with a bit more body, nicely balanced, fresh.

I am not sure of the quantities of each grape in the wine as I can find no mention of it on the Delicata website. I can tell you that the grapes are hand picked and it is 12% vol because it says so on the bottle. It didn't all come together for me at once, but this is one of the most interesting, thought-provoking white wines from Malta I've had in a while.
At this price level 9 out of 10.
Highly recommended.

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