Marsovin Winery has released the 2022 vintage of its ‘Artist Edition’ wine range, 1919.
The wines are branded 1919 to commemorate the year that the founder of Marsovin, Chevalier Anthony Cassar, started his business in the wine industry.
Marsovin has a long-established reputation as a winery that confidently continues to support the Maltese art scene.
The concept of 1919 is to combine the culture of wine with art, through a wine which represents the marriage and long history between Marsovin and the local arts.
Each year, a Maltese artist is selected and commissioned to paint their own interpretation of the synergy of culture of wine and the arts. The artist’s work is then digitalised to form part of the new vintage labels of 1919 white, rosé and red wines.
The 1919 range of wines continues to display unique characteristics in the style of the wine as well as the presentation.
This year will be the 19th vintage which the winery has released, having featured paintings by renowned Maltese artists such as Debbie Caruana Dingli, Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Denise Borg Millo, Catherine Cavallo, Andrew Diacono, Andrew Micallef, Celia Borg Cardona, Selina Scerri, James Vella Clark, Caroline Navarro, Richard Saliba, Mark Mallia, Mark England, Victoria Tonna, Gabriel Caruana, Rupert Cefai, Andrew Borg and Debbie Bonello.
These paintings are on display at the Marsovin winery.
This year’s vintage labels feature paintings from Sarah Calleja
This year’s vintage labels feature paintings from Sarah Calleja. Drawing inspiration from the vineyards, Calleja manages to emulate the feeling of a warm day for both the rosé and white wine, and a somewhat cooler temperature for the red wine. She worked in larger brushstrokes knowing that her work would be viewed mainly as a label.
“When Jeremy asked me to represent the 1919 collection for this year, my first instinct as an artist who loves to paint en plein air, was to go to the Marsovin vineyards. I am proud to form part of the lineage of artists being selected. I have truly enjoyed working on this collection and believe that the labels give the wine a local flavour,” Calleja said.
Marsovin CEO Jeremy Cassar said: “Supporting Maltese art in the way that Marsovin does, while also investing in quality wines made from our indigenous varieties, was a very rewarding project for Marsovin, even more so now that it is so appreciated by Maltese and foreigners alike”.
The winery says that interest for 1919 increases each year and the concept has been well received among foreigners and locals.
The 1919 white is produced from a blend of three grape varieties; the indigenous grape Girgentina, Chardonnay and Moscato, displaying fruity aromas of apples, limes and a floral hint of orange blossom.
The rosé is made from the indigenous Ġellewża, Grenache and Shiraz varieties, and features a clear and vibrant colour with fresh aromas of rose petals, ripe cherries and light mineral, herbaceous undertones.
The 1919 red is made using Ġellewża and Merlot, displaying a complex, full-bodied red wine with intense ripe fruit aromas of forest berries, amarena cherries and figs, underlined by distinct notes of pepper, sweet spice and a hint of fresh tobacco.
The 1919 range is available on www.marsovinwinery.com and from selected restaurants in Malta and Gozo.