Ġellewża (Malta)

Let's go to another island today -- the main island of the EU nation of Malta. Situated just to the south of Sicily and due east of the African nation of Tunisia, it's an ancient nation dating back roughly 8,000 years. Often an independent nation, it's location in the Mediterranean has made it a much sought after naval base. At various times, it has been a protectorate of Greece,  Carthage, Arabia, Normandy, Aragon, France, Spain, and Great Britain. Today, its waem climate and beautiful beaches make it a tourist destination.

But today, we come to drink wine made from the red grape Ġellewża (Google tells me it is pronounced roughly as zhe-hoozha. Don't ask; I can't answer. What I do know is that the Maltese language is a blend of Arabic and Sicilian Italian. Thankfully, English is a second official language, so while the locals can make themselves incomprehensible to us, they also communicate with us quite well.

The islands that remain were once part of the land bridge that connected the European continent to the African continent. As sea levels rose, however, much of that bridge fell beneath the sea. What remains are essentially the more elevated, mountainous areas of that bridge.

We're at what is likely the largest winery on the archipelago today, overlooking beautiful Valletta (the capital) Harbor. Interspersed among the commercial buildings and hotels, the grapevines get lots of direct sunlight, but are cooled at night by the sea breezes.

Winters here are temperate with overnight lows typically not below 10C/50F and summers are quite warm with typical daytime highs exceeding 30C/86F. Rain during the growing season is quite sparse.

Malta has two indiginous grapes. Today, we are drinking the red one.

Ġellewża grows here somewhat wild. While the vines are organized mostly in rows, there seems no rhyme or reason to their setup. All the grapes are hand-picked and fermented in stainless steel or concrete. While there is no law prohibiting it, Ġellewża grapes rarely are exposed to oak.

On the nose, loads of candied flowers, mostly violet. On the palate, there is bright red cherry and red plum and some red licorice in a medium-bodied wine with nicely rounded tannins.

Drink Ġellewża young and pair it with shish kebab with traditional seasonings and perhaps a cherry sauce for dipping.






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