Florence Fabricant, a columnist for the New York Times, paid a visit to the Delicata winery this week to learn more about Malta’s winemaking industry and its indigenous grape varieties Girgentina and Ġellewża.

She is an internationally renowned food writer who contributes regularly to the New York Times dining section. She is the author of 12 cookbooks, most recently a book written with Eric Asmiov, Wine with Food: Pairing Notes and Recipes from the New York Times.

Fabricant and her husband Richard were given a tour of the Delicata winery where they tasted some of the latest 2014 vintage wines directly from their stainless steel tanks, where they are still going through the fermentation process.

Together with winemaker Matthew Delicata, they sampled Chardonnay, Vermentino and Syrah, but particularly Girgentina and Ġellewża, which were harvested only last week. Fabricant is hopeful that an article on her visit will be published in the New York Times towards the end of October.