📍 Malta (island)

Malta is the main island of the small state of Malta in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily. It holds the largest part of the country's vineyards. The island is small, with limestone soil, hot dry summers and mild winters, and rain falls mostly in autumn and winter. Vineyards lie in small plots, often separated by stone walls.

The island belongs to the wine designations of Malta: the protected designation of origin “Malta” and the regional “Maltese Islands”. The neighbouring island of Gozo, to the north-west, belongs to it as well. Local grapes are grown: Ġellewża, a red giving light red wines and sparkling wine, and Girgentina, a white giving fresh simple wines. Merlot, Chardonnay and other international grapes also grow.

Maltese wines are red, white and rosé, as well as sparkling and sweet. Estates are small, and most of the wine is drunk on the island, where it is warm and visitors enjoy local cooking. The tradition of winemaking on Malta goes back many centuries, to deep antiquity.

For comparison with its neighbours: to the north lies Sicily with Etna and Marsala, and to the south across the sea Tunisia and Libya.