The much awaited harvesting of grapes for winemaking is over and the indications are that the 2008 harvest is an excellent vintage especially in terms of quality.

In a statement issued by Marsovin, Jeremy Cassar stated that this year Marsovin pressed a record 1,288,428 kilos of grapes consisting of ten varieties of white and fourteen varieties of red grapes. This represents an increase of 79 per cent over the 2007 harvest. Ninety-six per cent of more than 1.28 million kilos are destined to be used for DOK and IGT wines.

Marsovin’s status as Malta’s premier wine producer is even more impressive.

This record harvest is the fruit of 199 tumoli of Marsovin’s own estates, 1096 tumoli of vineyards managed by Marsovin, but owned by 240 contracted farmers and another 175 vine growers who between them supply Marsovin with around 350,000 kilos of the two local varieties.

Demand for Marsovin’s quality wines is increasing year by year, notwithstanding the widespread importation of foreign wines and the company is seeking to plant 300 tumoli of land in 2008 in addition to the 1096 tumoli it presently harvests.

“Not only,” Jeremy Cassar said “but by 2010 we aim to reach a total of at least 1,600 tumoli to be able to serve the growing demand for our wines and to achieve this we work very closely with the 380 members of the Assocjazzjoni ta’ Vitikulturisti Maltin, who represent the large majority of all vine growers in Malta and Gozo.”

Regarding the quality of Marsovin’s and locally produced wines, Jeremy Cassar and viticulturalist Christian Cremona, both confirm that this year Malta’s temperate weather conditions improved the local harvest while other countries such as Italy, France and California experienced quality issues.

Bordeaux and California grapes suffered frosts, which damaged the buds, while California had insufficient rain and Bordeaux had too much rain at the wrong time. Italy too suffered from heavy spring rain resulting in crop disease and lack of fruit set.

“In fact,” the statement concluded “this year’s harvest facilitated disease control and grape quality, as a result of optimum weather conditions in the spring and summer months and we are very happy that wine consumers will be able to enjoy the excellent 2008 Maltese wine vintage.’