On July 19, Marsovin kicked off its 2021 grape harvest by harvesting its first Chardonnay grapes from the Wardija Valley Estate, making it one of the first vineyards to be harvested across Europe.

These Chardonnay grapes are all hand-picked to ensure that grape bunches are handled with care. All Chardonnay grapes from this estate will be used to produce Marsovin’s Cassar de Malte – Brut.

This particular sparkling wine needs chardonnay grapes with a high acidity, hence the need to cut the grapes earlier than any other. The high level of acidity in a sparkling wine made in the traditional method is crucial for age maturation of quality sparkling wine.

The favourable warm climate of the Maltese islands allows picking as early as July, while other countries further north will have to wait till later in the summer for grape sweetness levels to be of an appropriate maturation.

The harvest will carry on throughout the month of August with other white grape varieties pressed at the winery, such as the Vermentino, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Moscato, Trebbiano, Sauvignon Gris.

As of mid-August and well into September, the winery will be welcoming the red varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache and the indigenous Ġellewża. Interestingly, the white indigenous variety Girgentina, being a late ripener, is one of the last varieties harvested, as late as mid-September.

Marsovin harvests its grapes from its five privately-owned estates around Malta and Gozo and also from over 200 contracted Maltese and Gozitan farmers. The harvest is a long one, starting in July and ending in the beginning of October.