Wine festival gets underway

Delicata's three-day Classic Wine Festival kicked off last night in the magical surroundings of the Upper Barrakka garden in Valletta, celebrating the start of the grape harvest.

The event, inaugurated by President Guido de Marco, opened with a spectacular wine regatta involving six boats which raced from Delicata's winery on the waterfront in Marsa to just below the garden.

The re-enactment of grape crushing as it was practiced in ancient times, along with live entertainment, will be held throughout the next two days of the festival. Visitors will also be treated to a spectacular fireworks display from the feast of St Lawrence across Grand Harbour.

Invited guests tasted the vast range of wines on offer and tucked into the gastronomic delicacies chosen to complement the wine. Delicata's two new wines, Dolcino Bianco and Dolcino Rosé, could also be sampled by those who had an official wine festival glass.

Today and tomorrow there will be comparative tutored wine-tasting by wine expert Bill Hermitage at the Castille Wine Vaults, right next door to the garden.

This will be one of the last events being organised in the beautiful surroundings of the Barrakka Garden which will be closed for restoration works between November and April.

Entrance to the festival is free. A free minibus shuttle service is also available to and from the MCP Car Park, in Floriana, to the garden between 7 p.m. and midnight.