Malta’s Wine Harvest: Where to Taste It This September
Every September, while beach season is winding down, another one of Malta’s seasons is in full swing. Malta’s grape harvest season runs through the month, with vineyards across Malta and Gozo bringing in the crop that becomes the next year’s wine. It’s a quieter, more agricultural side of the island than the festas and fireworks, but it gives September a genuine local flavour, in both senses.
The harvest usually starts with early white varieties in August and runs into September for the reds, which need longer on the vine to ripen fully. If you want to see it up close, or just drink the results of it, here’s how Malta’s grape harvest season actually plays out, from the vineyards themselves to the wine bars in town.
Malta’s Grape Harvest, From Vine to Cellar
Malta and Gozo grow both international grape varieties and two indigenous ones worth knowing: Girgentina, an old white variety, and Ġellewża, a red used in some of the island’s better-known rosés and sparkling wines. Wine production here is small by international standards, spread across a handful of producers rather than sprawling estates, and it’s recognised by the EU as a quality product tied specifically to Malta. The Ministry for Agriculture officially opens the harvest each year, usually in early August, with picking continuing into September as the later-ripening red varieties come in.
Visiting a Winery During Harvest Season
Marsovin, Malta’s largest and oldest producer, runs cellar tours out of its historic premises in Marsa, a short bus or taxi ride from Valletta. The tour walks through a 400-year-old ageing cellar and finishes with a guided tasting of four to six wines alongside local snacks, and it runs on a fixed weekly schedule that requires booking ahead. The grapes themselves are grown at Marsovin’s estates in Marsaxlokk and Wardija, so while you won’t be standing in the vineyard itself, the cellar visit is where the harvest becomes wine. Meridiana Wine Estate, out at Ta’ Qali, and Ta’ Mena Estate in Gozo are two other producers worth knowing about if you’re planning a longer wine-focused trip, though it’s worth checking current tour availability with each directly.
Where to Drink It in Valletta
Valletta has more wine bars per square metre than anywhere else on the island, mostly tucked into old cellars and side streets. Trabuxu Wine Bar is the best-known, a vaulted cellar near Strait Street with a strong Maltese list. Omerta’ Trattoria & Wine Bar, on Old Bakery Street, occupies a former 15th-century residence and pairs its wine with traditional Maltese dishes. Rampila, set into the capital’s bastions, has one of the more extensive wine lists in the city alongside sweeping views. Valletta View Apartments puts you within walking distance of all three, which makes an evening of wine-bar hopping a genuinely realistic plan rather than a taxi-dependent one. See Valletta View Apartments.
Where to Drink It in Sliema and St Julian’s
Sliema’s Hole in the Wall is a relaxed, unpretentious spot popular with people finishing a day of shopping or work, with a decent if not exhaustive wine list. In St Julian’s, Tiffany’s at the Portomaso marina takes wine more seriously, alongside champagne and a proper cigar selection, for a more polished evening. Bayview Hotel and Blubay Apartments both sit close enough to Sliema’s wine bar scene for an easy walk there and back, while Azur Hotel and Alavits Hotel put Portomaso and the rest of St Julian’s within similar reach. Check Bayview Hotel, Blubay Apartments, Azur Hotel, or Alavits Hotel depending on which side of the harbour suits you.
Where to Stay for Malta’s Wine Season
If Valletta’s cellar bars are the priority, Valletta View Apartments keeps Trabuxu, Omerta’, and Rampila all within a short walk. For Sliema’s more casual wine scene, Bayview Hotel sits on the seafront close to Hole in the Wall, while Blubay Apartments in Gzira suits a longer stay with the same easy access. On the St Julian’s side, Azur Hotel and Alavits Hotel put Portomaso’s Tiffany’s, and the rest of the area’s restaurants, within an easy walk home after a glass or two.
Whether you spend the afternoon touring a cellar or just work through a few glasses of Ġellewża in Valletta, September’s harvest is one of the more distinctive things happening on the island right now. For more on the capital’s history and layout while you’re wine-bar hopping, see our guide to the history of Valletta, and for help planning a day trip out to Marsa or beyond, our day trips from Sliema guide covers the practicalities.
