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Police investigating Maltese DOK wine produced using Italian grapes
Rural affairs minister confirms investigation of alleged fraud by winery producing a Maltese DOK wine using imported Italian grapes.
5 April 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Rural Affairs minister George Pullicino is launching a green paper on the production of quality wine.
Rural affairs minister George Pullicino has confirmed an ongoing police investigation on an alleged fraud by a Maltese wine producer over a serious case of mislabelled Maltese wine.
MaltaToday has been reliably informed that police investigators have been furnished with concrete evidence of a Maltese wine labelled as a DOK wine, but whose grapes were directly imported from Italy and not grown in Malta as implied in the DCO label.
Industry observers who spoke to this newspaper say the highly competitive wine industry in Malta has been secretly shaken by the allegations, which could have allowed the producers in question to benefit from competively priced Italian grapes to produce a superior wine.
Pullicino, who was announcing the publication of a green paper for the production of quality wine, told MaltaToday that the labelling on the wine in question could have given the impression that the grape was grown in Malta.
"There was a chance that it could have been a case of fraud, so investigations are ongoing," the minister said. "We supervise the production of wine, and carry out an audit and chemical analysis of wines. If the labelling is misleading, we take action."
DOK, the abbreviation for 'denominazzjoni tal-origini kontrollata' (denomination of controlled origin), means the wine in question has been produced within the specified region and according to quality standards. For such wines to be labelled DOK, the grapes have to be grown on the very land where the wine is produced, but not necessarily from indigenous grapes.
In the alleged case of fraud being investigated, the Maltese winery is suspected of having imported Italian grapes directly and not grown the grapes on Maltese soil for the production of the wine.
The government's new green paper for quality farm will include minimum clauses for contracts between vine growers and vintners on wine prices, and make it compulsory on producers to inform consumers on the quality of Maltese wines and educating them how to distinguish between quality and commercial wines.
New regulations will include clearer requirements on how wines are classified as estate wines, representation of recently established wineries on the wine regulations board, and how to differentiate between DOK superior and DOK estate wines.
In 2010, over 15 million litres of wine was produced in two million wine bottles - 90% of that wine was produced using DOK grapes grown in Malta.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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...incidentally how can anyone possibly be proud to place notices marking this or that vinyard/estate just off roads where, at best, there is a constant flow of traffic, at worst, traffic regularly grinds to a halt?
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It is very unfortunate that those Maltese wineries who are honest and are constantly working hard to produce high quality wines are dragged into question by consumers together with the winery who allegedly frauded the system.
It is unfortunately typical of some people's distrust towards local produce....Quick search on Google regarding fraudulent italian wine displays thousands of results (recent case was a fraud in one of Italy's top denomination of wine); I don't believe general consumers (including Maltese) lost faith in this Italian top label just because of a few....and i thus urge the Maltese to be as cautions before commenting in negative towards the whole sector.
Just a small working for those who in the comments said that they are in disbelief on the amount of land planted in Malta vs the amount of bottles that are release each year, i would like to bring to your attention the following Facts:
- There are approximately 4,600 Tumoli of land planted under vines (FOR WINE PRODUCTION) in Malta and Gozo (Those registered with the Oenology and Viticulture unit of the Goverment)
- Each tumolo is planted with around 560 vines
- Each vine may yield up to approx 2.6Kg to produce DOK wine and more to produce IGT wine
- If we take an average of 2Kg per vine - the total potential of grapes in Malta is 5,152,000 Kg of Grapes
- Each kg of grapes yields approximately 650 ml of wine; thus converting the total Kg to wine = 3,348,800 litres of wine
- Each bottle of wine contain 750ml of wine and therefore the total potential of wine bottles = 4,465,066 - DOUBLE the 2 million bottles Dr. Pullicino said that has been produced two years ago.
For those who are still incredulent i urge them to refer to the Public register of vineyards available from the Viticulture and Oenology unit of Ghammieri
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Prosit tassew. Nispera li tissolva kemm jista jkun malajr, jigi publikat l-isem ta minn hu (ghalkemm irid ikun mhux tal-qalba biex jigri dan!)u fl-ahhar nett jitjiebu l-ligijiet u l-kontrolli. Kif inkunu fil-venja ghandna nohorgu application ghal kariga ta Ministru DOK.
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Prosit tassew. Nispera li tissolva kemm jista jkun malajr, jigi publikat l-isem ta minn hu (ghalkemm irid ikun mhux tal-qalba biex jigri dan!)u fl-ahhar nett jitjiebu l-ligijiet u l-kontrolli. Kif inkunu fil-venja ghandna nohorgu application ghal kariga ta Ministru DOK.
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The wine's name should be made known or all Maltese D.O.K. would be tainted with ridicule.
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I would like to know who is being suspected? The way things stand the innocent wineries are being suspected too! Dont paint everyone with the same brush!
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Missek ijlek li tlabt inkjesta fuq l-imbid...mhux kulhadd hu konxju li l-gheneb ta' Malta ma jahlibx dak l-ammont li jigi bbottiljat u rizervat. Mela mhux mid-dwana kien jidhol dan l-gheneb nahseb li ovvju li hemm statistika (nispera)!!!!
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Ministru George, Prosit tal bicca xoghol li ghamilt u ghadek qeghed taghmel f`wied Qlejja jew ahjar ic Chadwick lakes. Pero xorta ghadhom jehdulek ir railings li qeghedin jitwahhlu bhala barriers.issa ghanke id dustbins li tpoggew qeghed itihom f`sor... Ministru ilni nitolbok sabiex tonfoq ftit ewros ohra u dawwar dak il gmiel ta post bis CCTV. Grazzi.
Zack Depasquale •
As long as it got alcohol in it I dont really care if the grapes are Italian, Albanian or Maltese. But on a serious note, one doesn't have to be a wine expert to acknowledge that not enough grapes are grown in Malta to produce all the wine on the island under a Maltese label.I am sure this has been going on for years on end, but since we are in comouflage election mode we have to be seen to be doing something. We used, and still are living in Mickey mouse Island
Zack Depasquale •
As long as it got alcohol in it I dont really care if the grapes are Italian, Albanian or Maltese. But on a serious note, one doesn't have to be a wine expert to acknowledge that not enough grapes are grown in Malta to produce all the wine on the island under a Maltese label.I am sure this has been going on for years on end, but since we are in comouflage election mode we have to be seen to be doing something. We used, and still are living in Mickey mouse Island
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Mela george pullicino jaf xi tkun dielja? mela george pullicino jaf xínhi hamrija? mela george pullicino jaf x'inhi agrikoltura? ..... jien nismaghhom jghidu li aktar jifhem fit-tonn, fil-klieb tar-razza poodle u f'xi ikla spaghetti u flixkun imbid f'post tal-ikle f'tas-sliema kull nhar ta' sibt filghodu waqt li jilghabha li hu habib ta' kulhadd .... hasra li ma jkollux mieghu lil Miss Malta ...skuzi, lil lourdes, dik il-part time lecturer fl-universita ta' ma nafx sewwa sew liema suggett .....
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Mhux ovvja li Malta ma tiproducix gheneb bizzejjed ghal l-inbid li ghawn. Issa ma nafx ghal liema inbid qeghedin nirreferu,ghax li tixtri flixkun inbid `D.O.K`b`hames ewros, hija xi haga li ma tghamilx sens.Nemmen li biex tiehu flixkun inbid verament D.O.K trid tonfoq mill l-anqas 25 - 30 ewro.
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Prosit tar-ritratt, min hadu. B'dak l-arblu jghatti nofs gismu, il-Ministru kwazi jidher presentabbli.
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"in vino veritas" .... perhaps
