Ä ellewża () is a dark-skinned grape variety that is native to the island of
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. Only a small amount of wine is made from this little-planted variety. Volumes are far surpassed on the island by
Girgentina, another native variety, along with the ever-present
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...
and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Style
Ä ellewża is used to make still red wines, as well as a semi-sparkling rosé wine. The strawberry-tinged sparkling rosés are often made in a medium dry style, with red fruit aromas to the fore. The red wines tend to be medium bodied, but Ä ellewża is increasingly found in blends, together with
Syrah
Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...
or
Cabernet Sauvignon to make a more full-bodied wine. Ä ellewża often acts to soften the spiciness of the wine and add a bright cherry flavour.
Usage
As most of Malta's wine output is consumed by locals and the thriving tourism trade, very little Ä ellewża wine is found outside of the island. Furthermore, the survival of indigenous grape varieties is under threat due to climate change (longer periods of drought) and the high average age of growers.
See also
*
Maltese wine
*
Girgentina
References
Red wine grape varieties
Grape varieties of Malta
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