The historic wine cellar of Del Borgo, located in an intimate alley just off Vittoriosa’s main thoroughfare, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, 3 June, 2015, with a special themed evening with Spanish wines and Spanish dancers.
Ingrid Dalli, Director of Del Borgo, greeted the guests and, together with her team, hosted an enjoyable evening for which the guest of honour was Spanish Ambassador José María Pons Irazazábal.
Earlier this year, Del Borgo launched a new wine list, for which it received an award, The Most Progressive Wine List from The Definitive(ly) Good Guide and it will shortly be launching a new food menu that is set to mark it out as a serious place for dining.
According to Ms Dalli, the new food menu will expand from tapas and platters to a more generous selection of main courses. “We want Del Borgo to be a place for our patrons to wine and dine, ensuring that they have a satisfying meal in the process,” she said.
The wines during the evening, kindly supplied by Attard & Co. (Foodstuffs) Ltd, were all from the Familia Martínez Bujanda wineries that has its base in the La Rioja region in northern Spain. Marta S. Martínez Bujanda, the firm’s Export Manager, said the wines had only been launched in Malta late last year.
Ms Martínez Bujanda, who was on her second visit to Malta, said 70% of the wines produced by Familia Martínez Bujanda are exported to 65 countries. She said the family is extremely happy with its local representatives, Attard & Co., and looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship.
Three of the family’s wine brands – seven wines in all – were offered during the evening, Viña Bujanda Rioja, Infinitus and Finca Montepedrosa.
Viña Bujanda Rioja Blanco is of medium to high intensity white, with flowery aromas of pineapple, green apple, white-flower vegetables and fresh cut hay; Viña Bujanda Rioja Rosado (rosé) is fresh, wide and big volume in the mouth, with a fresh fruity after nose, a very long final and a tasty aftertaste; Viña Bujanda Rioja Crianza shows a wide, fresh and silky attack, developing a great volume and structure with a long, tasty ending and an extraordinary after-nose aroma; and Viña Bujanda Rioja Joven has a very smooth attack in the mouth, with a rounded development showing a big glyceric load that allows a very long final sensation.
Infinitus Gewürztraminer has a high aromatic intensity with clear varietal traits. Notable rose petal aromas, wasabi, jasmine and white flowers. It is very complex and enjoyable. The Gewürztraminer vines for this wine are grown at an altitude of more than 900 meters, which mitigates its alcoholic potential and powers its floral and fruity aromas with spices.
Infinitus Moscatel is very aromatic, typical of the Muscat grape, and very fresh in mouth due to the sparkle of the natural carbonic gas.
Finally Finca Montepdrosa has a velvety and silky entry, developing to great volume and structure. The balanced acidity gives freshness and nerve. There is a long and tasty, fruity aftertaste, with an aftertaste sensation even more intense than in the nose phase, sowing up the recalls of fennel and aniseed.

Mr Pons Irazazábal, who has been heading the Spanish diplomatic representation in Malta for only a few months, said that he was familiar with the Familia Martínez Bujanda wines, which were used for all the Spanish embassy events. “These wines have a good relationship between quality and price,” he observed.
He praised Del Borgo for “this wonderful initiative” in which the Alegria Dance Company also performed. Economic relations between Malta and Spain were growing, he said, especially with increased airline connections and expanded trade between the two countries.
A special glass to mark the anniversary with the Del Borgo and Familia Martínez Bujanda names on it was also sold during the evening with the proceeds, €1,000, to be donated to Puttinu Cares.
Del Borgo is open seven days a week from 5 p.m., with last orders taken at 1 a.m. For more information visit http://www.delborgomalta.com or call 2180-3710 /9928-0000.