Malta

Malta is perhaps best known for its big-bodied red wines, in addition to its refined and refreshing white wines. Some of the more popular reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. White wines that are popular include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. 

Malta also has two indigenous grape varieties -- Gellewza and Ghirghentina.

The terroir here is predominantly comprised of limestone soil, in addition to a hot and dry climate.

A Brief History of Maltese Wine

Malta’s wine identity rests on two grapes found essentially nowhere else: Ġellewża (red) and Girgentina (white), the islands’ only indigenous varieties and, until recently, Malta’s sole registered geographical indications in the EU. Protected wines fall under three appellations administered by Malta’s Agriculture Directorate — DOK Malta, DOK Gozo and the broader IĠT Maltese Islands. Production is genuinely boutique: the total is tiny by any measure, so a visit feels personal, and the oldest houses — Emmanuel Delicata (winemaking roots to 1907) and Marsovin — trace their lineage back more than a century.

Wine Areas to Explore in Malta

• DOK Malta (main island) — the concentration of visitable estates, on friable, porous limestone soils rarely deeper than a meter, with Terra Rossa across the south.
• DOK Gozo — the smaller, sea-cooled sister island, known for traditional un-irrigated goblet vineyards and agritourism estates.

Wineries to Visit in Malta

A few established estates welcome visitors (book ahead — Malta’s estates are small):

• Meridiana Wine Estate (Ta’ Qali, Malta) — established 1987; estate tours take in the fermentation hall and underground cellar with tastings on terraces above the vines.
• Marsovin (Marsa, Malta) — cellar tastings in a building dating to the Order of St. John, home to more than 220 oak barrels (advance booking required).
• Ta’ Mena Estate (Marsalforn Valley, Gozo) — a family agritourism estate offering guided tours, wine-and-food tastings and seasonal harvest experiences.

RELATED: For a fuller local list, see our guide to the best Malta wineries to visit.

Malta Wine Tours

Malta’s wine-tour inventory is healthy for such a small country, from full-day estate visits to Valletta tasting experiences:

• Full-Day Small-Group Wine Tour in Malta
• Taste of Malta: Wine and Cheese Experience in Valletta
• Dingli Cliffs, Mdina & Wine Tasting Day Trip

Best Time to Visit & Planning Tips

Malta’s Mediterranean climate keeps the islands mild year-round, but the most atmospheric window is late summer to early autumn: international varieties are picked in August and the indigenous Girgentina and Ġellewża come in later, in September, so an August–September visit can catch the working harvest. The flagship estates cluster on the main island (Meridiana at Ta’ Qali, Marsovin at Marsa, Delicata at Paola), while Gozo estates like Ta’ Mena require a short ferry crossing.