Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience

Wine is an icon that has transgressed time and tastes. So much so, that 10,000 years after the first batch of this alcoholic beverage concocted from fermented grapes was made, wine still holds an important place in our everyday lives.

Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy’. 

We agree, but we also believe that wine is more than just a simple beverage that accompanies your dinner, or which you sip as you chat to friends. After all, each bottle of wine holds within it traditions, customs, scents and tastes that have been 10,000 years in the making.

Taste Local

As many of you probably know, we are firm believers in the produce yielded and products created locally, and there are many reasons for this. 

● To begin with, these are zero-milage products, meaning that their carbon footprint is much, much smaller than something imported from abroad. 

● Buying and promoting these products also helps safeguard customs that have been in use for generations, and helps promote the growth of our local agricultural landscape and economy. 

● But, more than that, we truly believe that local produce, aided by the kiss of our generous sun, and lovingly grown by the wonderful farmers that have dedicated their life to this practice, results in superior products that taste divine.

That’s why our Wine & Cheese Tasting sessions only make use of locally-produced wine, grown in vineyards scattered all around the Islands that benefit from our fertile soil and optimum weather conditions. And, to complement the wines and take your taste-buds on a journey through Malta’s culinary traditions, we add creamy and soft sheep’s milk gbejniet (traditional Maltese cheeselets) to our offering.

Wine & Cheese Tasting Sessions by Merill

Our Wine & Cheese Tasting Sessions take place at one of our exclusive venues, which set the stage for an idyllic afternoon in the company of expertly-picked, boutique wines and fresh gbejniet created from local milk by local producers using recipes that date back tens, and even hundreds, of years.

As we take you through the different wines and explore their fragrance, palate and origin, we also guide you through the deep and intricate taste of our humble gbejna, as well as the history and legacy of the venues we are in, which include Tas-Salut Orchard or the Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove.

As such, these Wine & Cheese Tasting Sessions are great for both locals and visitors, and whether it’s a birthday party, get together, team-building session, or just an afternoon spent getting to know the local viticulture, we will always welcome you with open arms.

Other Details:

● As we’re sure you know, wine tasting sessions are all about getting to know the wines at hand, so we’ll make sure you won’t get drunk while in our care, and we promise to keep you safe.

● These tasting sessions cannot substitute lunch or dinner in their entirety, so they make for a perfect pre-dinner activity.

● They are available all year round, no matter the weather!

● They’re perfect for an afternoon gathering that allows you to taste some delicious Maltese wines with a backdrop of the pink and yellow sky as the sun sets. It also means that, if you come in the hot summer months, you’ll avoid the stifling heat of the early afternoon.

● Groups can secure the exclusive farm venue – drop us a line for more information about this.

● Visitors will try three different kinds of wine and two types of gbejniet – making these sessions ideal for vegetarians too.

For more information on Merill or our Wine & Cheese Tasting sessions, why not drop us a line at info@merill.com.mt or call us on +356 9944 3118? 

Written by WriteMeAnything.com

Merill Rural Tourism Project featured on Malta's National TV station

Guests at Tas-Salut Orchard

While temperatures are rising we bid farewell to a busy spring and welcome summer time. It has been a busy season hosting many locals and tourists on our farm venues. In the meantime we also started off an EU funded project entitled "To enhance, strengthen and assist the Merill Rural Tourism Network".

This €110K project which is 80% funded by Leader Funds and managed by the Majjistral Local Action Group Foundation, involves several tasks, including purchasing of small scale investments, training of the members within the network and marketing. 

Dissemination of information is being carried out with regards to Malta's rural treasures focusing on the Majjistral region. All the attractions being promoted are taken care of by the farmes and arstisans within the network. They feature unique farms and workshops in rural villages including Mosta, Mtarfa, Mgarr, Rabat and Dingli. 

Yesterday our project was featured on the news thanks to Malta's national TV station - Television Malta. The feature (in Maltese), highlighted the experiences offered by Merill as well as outlined the project in relation to three of the members within the network. Mr. Antoine Vella, an artisan, was interviewed at his workshop in Rabat. Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove was also filmed and described as a museum of trees, herbs and endemic species. Last but not least the stunning views and surroundings at Tas-Salut Orchard, a Mediterranean fruit orchard, were also featured.

The other members within the Merill Rural Network who are participating in this project are Carmel and Paul Cortis of Cortis Vineyards, and Karl and Mario Scerri who are full-time farmers.

Online article in Maltese 

Turisti jinghataw esperjenza fil-kampanja Maltija, tradizjonijiet u kultura.

Source: www.tvm.com.mt
Click here to watch news clip in Maltese

Her Excellency Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley and her guests on a rural tour with Merill

In February we had the pleasure to host the US Ambassador to Malta Her Excellency Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley and her guests on a rural tour. Here are some photos from the visit.

Having a chat at Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove

Time to taste some delicacies

Left to right - Ms. Tess Gauci, Her Excellency Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley,
Mr. Chully Vella and Mrs Isabella Vella

The guests at Mr. Antoine Vella's weaving workshop

Mr Antoine Vella explaining the tricks of the trade

Merill Local Products display

Enjoying traditional coffee 

Click here to have a look at the blog post written by Denise, one of the guest attending the trip.

For more details about rural tours drop us a line on info@merill.com.mt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

A group of students visit the Bingemma Olive Grove

View from the Olive Grove

We were pleased to host a group of students from the university association called "Youth for the Environment". Daniel Buhagiar is the current President of the organisation. The students all have the environment at heart and study at various faculties and institutes within the University of Malta including sciences, engineering and health. The scope of the association is to create environmental awareness, promote efficiency and contribute to sustainability in society. This rural experience was organised as one of their social events.

During the discussion

It was a splendid Sunday morning when John, a young farmer, and I met the group next to the Chapel of Our Lady of Ittria in Bingemma, Mgarr. After a brief introduction, we moved towards the Olive Grove where we were hosted by Nena, Tessie, Bella together with John. The youths were offered tea and coffee together with local jams and marmalades. Following that, the visit was complemented with an engaging discussion about rural tourism and agriculture. John, recalled how studying agriculture has kept him close to his family and the traditions they harness. Olive oil and other delicacies produced by the farmers within the Merill Network were also tasted during the experience. 

Olive oil tasting

Delicacy Tasting

At the olive grove

Photos by Kurt Cuschieri

To get involved in this student organisation visit their Facebook Fan Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/youthfortheenvironment

For more information about the Olive Grove Experience, drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com.

Cheers

Jeanette

Merill Eco Tours hosts a dynamic team of Food and Beverage experts

Hello Merill fans,

October 2012 has now gone by, and it still feels like summer in Malta. Today has been an exceptionally clear and sunny day, perfect to enjoy the rural parts of the Maltese islands. Having been blessed with fantastic weather throughout September and October, we have enjoyed hosting more groups on our various farm venues around Malta. 

Amongst the groups we hosted in October, we had the pleasure of hosting the Food and Beverage managers and supervisors at Intercontinental Malta. This dynamic team of young people are experts in hotel and restaurant management. Now I'm looking even more forward to visit the various restaurants managed by Intercontinental Malta, such as Eastern Breeze, Paranga and Harruba, to taste the exquisite food prepared by this team :) 

We would like to show gratitude to Mr. Bradley Dingli, the Director of Food and Beverage, who entrusted us to organise a day out for his colleagues, and who took the time to write the 5 star review on our official Trip Advisor page seen below.

“FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE WITH MERILL ECO PRIVATE TOURS FOR OUR COMPANY OUTING

Smiling - Photo by Ms. Angie Borda

"We come from a very stressfull and demanding routine on a daily basis at work. Two groups of 20 persons each decided to organise 2 seperate but identical events with this company and Jeanette (together with her husband Chris) assisted us from the very start. We made it very clear that we want to enjoy a full day activity within peaceful surroundings, whereby a group of working colleagues would spend a full day away from the normal routine at work. What Jeanette organised was spot on....they took us to Bingemma Olive Grove to start off with. As a local i have been to this area, however this Olive Grove boasts one of the best views in Malta, apart from a surrounding area that is astounding to spend some hours at with friends. The group tasted some good olive oil, marmalade and consumed some local pastizzi accompanied by coffee and tea (which tastes delicious in this environment). The friendliness and hospitality experience by Charles and his wife at the Olive Grove is an experience not to be missed. Jeannette and Chris enhance the experience by thier knowledge on agriculture, explaining the different types of olive trees and some very interesting information on how the olive oil is pressed; how many olives you need to press a litre of olive oil etc etc. It did rain a bit when we were there with the 2nd group however no one hesitated as there was plenty of shelter for a group of 20.

Intercontinental F&B team - Group 1 - Photo by Ms. Angie Borda

After an hour and a half at the Olive Grove we proceeded to the limits of Rabat and visited a vineyard. Again Jeanette explained a lot about the type of grapes grown and the variety of wines produced. Being locals and having a group of people who's job is in Food & Beverage, she didn't need to elaborate a lot but it was very interersting. The lady at the vineyard prepared a selection of wines (red, white and rose) for us all to try, followed by a nice spread of a typical local table filled with Hobz biz-zejt (traditional Maltese Bread with tomato spread and olive oil), Goat's Cheese, Capers, Pickled Onions, Bigilla (a bean dip), Bruschetta Mix, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes, which proved to be a very enjoyable meal in the afternoon. Views from the vineyard are exceptional, especially from the roof terrace. We spend at least 2 hours at the vineyard enjoying the wine, food and company. Jeanette and Chris finished it off with some nice local sweets and hot beverages before saying their good byes. 

This was the first time with Merill Eco Private Tours however it will not be the last. Jeannette and Chris you know have 40 ambassadors, promoting your services as you truly offered us a fantastic programme for our company outing. Above all the best thing is that Merill keep the local traditions and local produce alive and highly exposed to the selected few. thanks one again and hope to see you all soon."

Ms. Angie Borda who is part of the Intercontinental Malta team, has also left us a review and a photo, and for this we would like to say thank you.

We hope to host this team again very soon and in the mean time we wish them all the best for the coming hectic Christmas season!

Cheers

Jeanette

Visited October 2012

Happy New Year from Merill Eco Tours!

This will be our last blog article for 2011! Oh what a year!

Merill Eco Tours will soon be a year old and we're so proud of the way it's been growing so far.

It's nice to look back at what we have been up to this year. We started off the venture and the year with the Press Launch which took place on the 12th of January. It was raining cats and dogs before and during the presentation, but still a nice crowd of around 50 attended the launch. Hon. Dr Mario De Marco officially inaugurated Merill Eco Tours as the first licensed ecotourism venture operating in the Maltese Islands.
(Click here to view the clips of the TV coverage; TVM and NET TV.)

Following the launch we immediately started cooperating with various tour operators and local DMCs to fine-tune our eco and agri tours, which are offered both for tourists and locals. The exclusive locations, together with the delicious products enjoyed during the tours, have been an asset to put forward a positive and attractive image of Malta as a rural tourism destination.

Our farmers have been kept very busy producing local products and other delicacies for our guests. Along the year we also branded a range of traditional processed products which were brought direct from the farmers and promoted at a number of different occasions and venues. In September we were also pleased to discover that our honey was featured in an official EU publication, amongst many other food products from all around Europe.

Traditional food products from all EU Countries

Sea Salt mini jars as souvenirs

To raise awareness about the richness of the Maltese rural areas, we are now producing short video clips, which we named '90 eco seconds', capturing the very best scenes and activities in local villages. Our first clip features Mgarr, which is truly an agricultural hub of the Maltese Islands.

We sincerely wish a prosperous new year to all our fans all around the world, especially to our dear Maltese expats who follow us regularly. Our special thanks go to our families and friends as well as all our business partners who have been part of this amazing journey.

Lots of eco wishes from Jeanette and Christian!

Prickly Pears in Malta are just ripe!

Prickly Pears

The prickly pear reigns supreme in Malta’s landscape. At this time of year, its fruits ripen and are harvested by hardy folk as a food for free. In the more rural villages, you’ll find veggie vans and shops selling the pears, spines removed thank goodness. Often, my village neighbours arrive at my door with a plastic bowl full of the fruit, peeled to reveal their jewel-like, ruby-coloured succulent flesh. I accept graciously, though I have never really got to grips with munching or spitting out the abundant seeds. Apparently, there are seedless varieties around, just not in the wild of course!

Although not a native of the Malta, or the Mediterreanean (its origins lie in South America), the Opuntia ficus-indica (Indian fig) certainly thrives here. Were it not for farmers lopping off bits from time to time it might well take over. Farmers of old would use it as a boundary between fields; it’s definitely a good deterrent to intruders or straying livestock and is cheaper for villa owners to install than a security system!

The fruit can be red, deep wine-red, green or yellow-orange and is perfectly edible (fussiness over seeds aside). It is sweet and moist with a flavour similar to sub-tropical fruits like watermelon, honeydew melon, strawberries and figs. And is a fraction of the price of these, or free if you pick your own.

I would leave picking, and removing the peel to the experts though; rural folk with hands like leather, who wield a knife skilfully and are impervious to the nasty spines. On my first trip to Malta 20 years ago, I was offered a half-heartedly peeled prickly pear and ended up, very uncomfortably, with very fine, hair-like spines swelling my lips for days.

Prickly Pear culinary delights

Malta doesn’t really make much use of its abundant prickly pear supply. Our Sicilian neighbours treat it far more adventurously making candies, granita (slushy ices), ice creams, and jellies from it, as well as serving it up as dessert in restaurants ranging from casual trattorie to those listed in the esteemed Michelin Guides.

The prickly pear is however on the increase on menus in Malta as we are beginning to see chefs value this humble, poor-man’s food. Its presence on the menu can add local flair to what is often a bland list of internationally available desserts. The prickly pear is also versatile, and equally at home in savoury dishes.

Most people I know simply eat it unadulterated; or they juice it. It can make a refreshing drink, and it certainly makes an interesting, pink-coloured Maltese liqueur under the Zeppi brand, called Bajtra. You’ll find it in most grocers and at the airport, alongside Maltese honey and biscuits, being sold as a souvenir.

Health benefits

It has an impressive list of healthly properties: it is rich in anti-oxidents and contains a good dose of vitamin C. Some say its juice can help cure a hangover. The ficus indica is being looked at closely for its health benefits:a Maltese company, along with a French partner, has been researching prickly pear properties since 1996. It has has found its extracts can help alleviate symptoms of extreme fatigue experienced after performing strenuous exercise – we’re talking about scuba divers and racing drivers here.

So, it seems that the humble prickly pear, much maligned and often viewed as an invasive weed, has a lot to offer Malta after all.

Article written by Elizabeth Ayling and published on Malta Inside Out


http://www.maltainsideout.com/4680/prickly-pear-shaped-healthly-eating/

Loving summer and nature in Malta

Amazing Sunset

Bambinella harvesting

Ready to be harvested

Painting Workshops

Gutters in rural paths

So many things are happening this summer at Merill Eco Tours! 

Some might think that summer in Malta is just a time to relax by the sea and do nothing. That's an option but there are so many other things to do. The landscape turns to yellow and brown hues with outstanding patches of lush green vines. Grapes will be ready to be harvested in a month's time but the small Malta June Pear, known locally as Bambinella is just ripe. Farmers are spending their days harvesting and grading it to later sell locally or send to the United Kingdom. 

What else? The weather has been fantastic this July. We've had a heat wave that was quickly replaced by cooler weather. In the evening it's fresh, just perfect to enjoy relaxed evenings out by the beach., maybe savoring a (local) cold beer!

Morning can get to be pretty hot so we're having afternoon painting workshops out in rural areas. Agricultural land can offer many features ideal for painting.

That's all from our end...stay cool and enjoy life :)

Visit our website for more details about excursions - Merill Eco Tours Website

Traditions Fair at Mgarr - 8th July 2011

Mgarr Parish Church in the distance

tractors, implements and other farming equipment

Dinner!

Cane work

I just couldn't resist this

different kinds of local bread

feeding 10!

l-Għannejja (folk singers & musicians)

Aromatic herbs stand

Yesterday was one of those hot summer afternoons here in sunny Malta. This didn't seem to bother the farmers and organisers of the Traditions Fair that was organised at Mgarr. Livestock, displays of machinery, demonstrations of traditional farming practices and obviously food. The smell or roast potatoes was lovely. 

Around 500 persons attended this event and I must say that it was very well organised. Eman Vella who is an MRRA official but also the Vice Mayor of Mgarr explained to us the purpose of having such a fair and the commitment of the council to keep the village traditions alive.

Mgarr is one of the top rural villages of Malta. There are several hamlets in Mgarr, such as Bingemma. These areas are still farmed and the products originating from them are the fruit of fertile soil, knowledgeable farmers and hard work.

If you're planning to visit Malta, you can't miss our Mgarr tour! We can advice you in advance as to when is the best time to come to Malta, so that you can also enjoy one of the rural activities and events organised throughout the year.