On Tuesday Prime Minister Joseph Muscat inaugurated the joint venture company between Marsovin and Master Group at the Marsovin winery.
Marsovin and Master Group roots date back to 1919 and 1922 respectively. Marsovin was started by Chev Anthony Cassar in 1919 and Master Group by Mrs Madeline Camilleri in 1922, both founders started off with very little and created a legacy in the production of local beverages. Four generations later, both families are uniting to create a stronger, more effective force on the market.
The aim of this joint venture is to optimize the synergies of both companies. Marsovin has a dominant position in the local wines market, whereas the Master Group, were involved in both the local production of wines and the importation. The aim of CassarCamilleri is to invest in the production of Maltese certified D.O.K and I.G.T wines to encourage the long term stability of the local wines market and grow within the imported wines market, as well as other sectors of the local beverages market.
Both Marsovin and Camilleri Wines, now part of CassarCamilleri, call on the Government to help promote the Maltese wines sector which needs the support of its people and its Government to spread the good word about a product that is produced on Maltese soil by Maltese hands, with tremendous passion and potential. The quality of these wines is at large very good value, a lot of hard work is put into producing wine which can be appreciated by both Maltese and tourists alike. The standards employed thanks to the controls in place to ensure excellent quality are stringent, and for this we encourage the Government to keep on enforcing high quality standards for Maltese wines. It is only through these efforts that viticulturists and winemakers can continue to make the name and value of Maltese wine grow within Malta and the overseas market.
The wine sector in Malta is a competitive one, the challenges of competing with wines that are produced in large mechanically harvested vineyards in Italy, Spain, France and other major wine producing countries compared to the challenges of harvesting all grapes by hand in small plots of land which have been cared for with great dedication, are tremendous.
CassarCamilleri will be investing 1.5 million to implement this joint venture. These funds are being used to upgrade the wine making facilities in the winery, as well as the PET production centre in San Gwann which will now produce Coolee, as well as Just and Fontana. Over the past five years Coolee has been produced overseas this investment will ensure that the same standards of production and quality are maintained. Through this investment both Marsovin and Master Group can hope for a brighter future in Malta.