The unprecedented dry spell of the last year has led to the loss of more than a third of indigenous grape vines used to produce local wine, according to the largest winemakers on the island.

Marsovin CEO Jeremy Cassar said the dry weather had led to the loss of 35 per cent of vines, and a wine yield up to 25 per cent lower than last year.

Total rainfall scraped a record low only 265 millimetres since last September, a third of which fell in October, compared to some 550mm the previous year. A very mild winter and strong, warm winds in April and May exacerbated the situation.

“There is a tremendous threat coming from weather reports this year,” Mr Cassar said at a press conference this morning. “The drought has had significantly negative impact on vine health, and consequentially on the amount of grapes harvested.”

Most winemakers nevertheless managed to stem the damage dealt due to solid vineyard practices and a special emphasis on precise irrigation and fertiliser management, according to Mr Cassar.

However the lack of good quality irrigation water around the island meant that vineyards located in Mġarr, a stronghold of the traditional indigenous Girgentina and Ġellewża, are expected to yield as much as 70 per cent below the norm.

The loss of indigenous vines will also impact the coming year’s harvest, and a repeat of this year’s poor weather conditions could “double” the damage, Mr Cassar said.

Winemakers are now insistent that urgent replanting of indigenous vines is necessary, even though the full yield will not be seen for a number of years. EU funding is being explored, but Mr Cassar said the process would have to begin within the next two months to be in time for the next harvest.

“The sector urgently needs investment,” he said. “Maltese wine is more than just another product on the market; it is responsible for maintaining an entire agricultural sector. These problems are especially worrying in view of the ever-decreasing number of young people entering the farming sector.”