Gozo rock holds ancient wine presses [ Malta ]

Times of Malta ^ | January 12, 2010 | Claudia Calleja

[SunkenCiv]

Centuries ago, come September, galleys would be rowed into MgË™arr ix-Xini harbour and loaded with amphorae filled with wine that had been pressed in the valley. Winemakers would fill shallow basins with grapes and, once pressed, the juice would flow through holes and channels into a deeper collecting holder, all carved into the rock. These wine presses, said to date back to 500 BC, can still be seen embedded in the Gozitan valley and are being studied and documented in a project carried out by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Sannat and Xewkija local councils with the support of Camilleri Wines... Such presses have also been identified in various parts of the world such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Palestine, Syria and South Africa... On hearing about this project, which has revealed more about the history of local winemaking, Camilleri Wines wanted to support it through its Mystic Araar, vintage 2007. For each of the 3,333 limited edition bottles produced, Camilleri Wines will donate €1 to the project, Claudio Camilleri, head of sales and marketing, said... This is the second time Camilleri wines is producing the Mystic Araar wine. The brand was launched in 2008 when the first batch of limited edition vintage 2006 wines were handed out to the winery's clients. The aim was to raise awareness about Malta's national tree which is in danger of extinction - the Sandarac gum tree... That year the company had committed itself to plant 50 trees for three years.

[SunkenCiv]

One of a series of wine presses, dating back to 500 BC.

[SunkenCiv]

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[ApplegateRanch]

In 1967, while my father was working in Libya, (still a kingdom for another few months) he had my mother sell our their mobile home, and move to Malta to be near him.

Being an under-employed, living at home community college student, I was was welcome to join her IF (HA!) I could pay my own way.

Needless to say, I had to just find an apartment instead.

To this day, Malta is a sore subject; it hurts when gravy trains derail!

Lots of pictures, books, souvenirs and even a Maltese cookbook; but, alas! They are all second hand memories.

[shredderman]

I have friends that live in malta and have been there to visit them. Wonderful place, people VERY friendly, beautiful country, but lousy roads! I have to take my Wife back there again soon (they are her friends after all!).

If you have a chance to go there for vacation, do so, but between October and May, when the weather is nicer and the mosquitos are not so hungry! You won’t be sorry.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, I’ve often wished I could go. It has two official languages, English and Maltese, and Italian and Arabic are also widely spoken there (most Maltese are bilingual or trilingual, or more). The unique ruins of an otherwise unknown prehistoric people are something I’d love to see. And the Maltese gov’t has a longstanding policy of encouraging English speaking pensioners to retire there.

[SunkenCiv]

My condolences. ;’)

It’s not as cheap to live there as it used to be in, say, the 1990s. Now, lots of newer construction, condos, that kind of thing, along with modernized older buildings. When I used to check into it once in a while, airfare was prohibitively expensive (that was through Hamburg). It probably makes more sense to visit Italy, budgeting a lot of time for that of course, and take a ferry over to Malta.

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, some parents will stop at nothing to get their kid to finally move out. ;’)

[ApplegateRanch]

I’m one of the few who can honestly say that I didn’t move out of the house; my parents did.

Oddly, in 1971, my wife, whom I first met in 1968, was given a similar choice.

She could move to Venezuela for three years, where her father was to be Project Manager for a steel mill project; or find a place of her own.

We’ve been together since 1972.