• The Grape South

    San Niklaw Estate vines - 3 San Niklaw Estate cellar - 1San Niklaw Estate winery A bottle of Despatch wine

    In these last years we have been witnessing a major trend towards a return to one’s roots. Possibly we are realizing that the frenetic modern life is alienating us from the real meaning of what it means to be alive and from the significant feeling of belonging. Retracing ancestral footsteps often leads to a closer connection with nature and to a yearning to liaise directly with the land in order to breathe once again the fragrance of the soil blending in with the aromatic scents of plants, trees, fruits and flowers.

    The Cauchi brothers have always looked forward to a visit to San Niklaw, their parents’ country residence and adjoining chapel dedicated to St Nicholas with its surrounding land on the outskirts of Żejtun. John, Thomas and Jeremy still remember the days when their grandmother used to bring them to San Niklaw to prepare the chapel for the pastoral visits by Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi. The boys were particularly attracted to the chapel’s bell and as soon as they were led in, they rushed to ring it at whatever time they could, even though their grandmother warned them not to as this gave a false impression to the neighbouring farming community that mass was about to begin.

    On the other hand, the children were free to roam in the fields and to enjoy the wonder of exploring different areas in the stretch of land which has belonged to their family for centuries. They rambled around in search of anything of interest in this private space full of curiosities one of which is an authentic ‘qiegħa’; a circular structure which in the old days was used by farmers as a threshing floor to separate the wheat grain from the chaff by a donkey or ox pulling a stone roller.

    Indeed, the last generation could do very little with the land since their careers had taken them on different ventures. However, once their father retired from work and could dedicate more time, the family started to discuss the possibility of enhancing the value of their estate and the surrounding environment by stimulating the dormant land to produce crops once again. Since none of them were farmers, they had to come out with a project which they could enjoy doing and which eventually they could get good at. Ultimately, their passion for good wines and food culminated in the idea of cultivating their own vines.

    They began everything from scratch, kicking off this endeavour by attending to viticulture lectures. Meanwhile, they cleared the land from the wild vegetation and they prepared it for cultivation. They restored the weakened rubble walls and measured the land in order to plan the layout of the vines. Samples of soil were analysed to distinguish which type of root stock was ideal for their land. Once this information was obtained, they visited a foreign nursery and selected some of the best vine clones which promised to do well within San Niklaw Estate’s terroir.

    This selection consisted of four types of root stock, each with their particular qualities. Vermentino vines have hardy leaves and are resilient to the south-east wind and to the salty sea-breeze which spreads to this zone from the nearby sea in Marsaxlokk. They produce a light-skinned wine grape which has a distinct luscious aroma of apples. Sangiovese vines are adaptable to many different types of vineyard soils. They produce red grapes which have the potential to turn into elegant wines with forceful flavours of strawberry and spice. Syrah vines’s produce is influenced by the climate in which they are grown and this will affect the style and flavour-profile of their wines. Indeed, these wines are renowned for their powerful and full-bodied characteristics which are derived from their dark-skinned grapes that give out strong aromas of blackberry, mint and black pepper. Mourvèdre vines are more capricious. They need very warm weather, a low leaf-to-fruit ratio and much more care, since they are susceptible to many viticulture hazards. However, their red grapes produce very interesting wines of a ruby colour and with unusual tartufo and earthly notes.

    As the first leaves sprouted on the sowed branches, it seemed that the earth within San Niklaw Estate had accepted to support this new enterprise. Yet this was confirmed some months later when the initial small yield of grapes succeeded to produce a very satisfactory wine. Year after year, the Cauchi brothers developed their experience further and today, their skill at wine-making has flourished considerably. They have opted to use the philosophy of seeking out the best growing conditions for their vines and then let the wines make themselves.

    As harvest time gets closer, a random sample of grapes is collected from the vines and the juice which is obtained will indicate the acidity and the sweetness of the vines’ produce for that year. When the grapes are finally ready for harvest, they are all picked within the same day. The white grapes’ stems are removed with a machine and then the grapes are squeezed. Only the white grape juice will go into the barrels. Contrastingly, red grapes are placed into the barrels with skin and all, after the stems have been eliminated. This is because in red grapes, it’s the skins that have all the color and flavour. Barrels made of French oak are used for San Niklaw’s Estate’s wine fermentation, and these are laid to rest within an old rocky cellar.

    Three red and one white wine have eventually been produced by the Cauchi brothers and each one of them has its own particular characteristics. However it is the wine named Despatch which has the most fascinating story behind it. Indeed, the labels displayed on its bottles portray a ship bearing this name which in the 19th century belonged to the family and was used to transport cotton that was harvested from these fields in order to be traded in Marseille and Barcellona.

    After this pleasant success, the Cauchi family has decided to extend this project into an activity of eno-tourism wherein visitors are welcomed to taste their products and to nibble at some freshly prepared traditional food. Interestingly, they have has also ventured to strengthen some other traditions, including the organization of the feast of St Nicholas which takes place on the 6th December. On this day, family members, friends, neighbours and people who get to know about this event, gather in front of a brightly lit and adorned chapel of St Nicholas and after the mass is celebrated, everyone gets an opportunity to taste San Niklaw Estate’s fine wines.

    (This article was published in the Beer, Wine and Spirits Supplement of the Times of Malta of the 25th April 2014)