Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/904009
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 2017 Events 46 MAPFRE Middlesea and MAPFRE MSV Life sponsor The President's Solidarity Fun Run The President's Solidarity Fun Run is a now a staple event in Malta's calendar. This year, the Run, in aid of Malta Community Chest Fund will be held today. As in previous years, MAFRE Middlesea and MAPFRE MSV Life will be giving their support through sponsorship. "Being part of the global MAPFRE Group, we believe in giving back to the society in which we operate in. This event is a great opportunity to show our support." President and CEO of MAPFRE Middlesea Felipe Na- varro said. The Malta Community Chest Fund Founda- tion provides financial, material and profes- sional support to people experiencing diffi- culties because of severe chronic illness, such as cancer. The Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation also supports persons with dis- ability, people in poverty and NGOs (through the Fund for Voluntary Organisations). Staff members of both companies will also take part in the walk and run with their fami- lies. MAPFRE Middlesea p.l.c. (C-5553) is au- thorised by the Malta Financial Services Au- thority to carry on both Long Term and Gen- eral Business under the Insurance Business Act, 1998. MAPFRE MSV Life p.l.c. (C-15722) is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority to carry on long term business un- der the Insurance Business Act 1998. Gold for Delicata's 2016 Gran Cavalier Merlot The outstanding 2016 vintage of Gran Cava- lier Merlot, D.O.K. Malta, Superior, has been awarded a Gold medal as well as the Premio Della Stampa at the 2017 Emozioni dal Mondo Merlot e Cabernet Insieme international wine competition, which was recently held in Ber- gamo, Italy. This red wine of distinction is skilfully cre- ated by Delicata, Malta's foremost winery. It tastes delicate and is reminiscent of the classic French style that made Bordeaux claret popu- lar, but with that added pleasurable dusty and faintly savoury Maltese hallmark to it. This cask-aged Gran Cavalier varietal is poised to become an iconic example of world- class Merlot of Malta. In fact, previous vintages of the same flagship wine have amassed an additional three Gold and three Bronze medals at competitions such as the Challenge International du Vin held in Bourg, on the outskirts of Bordeaux in France, the International Wine Challenge and the In- ternational Wine and Spirit Competition, in the United Kingdom. The impressive list of honours of this mul- tiple medal-winning wine shows that Maltese Merlot can hold serious equity. When handled by a skilful winemaker, locally grown Merlot could very well be Malta's most promising red variety for mind-blowing wines of pedigree. The Emozioni dal Mondo Merlot e Cabernet Insieme contest is organised by the Vignaioli Bergamaschi S.C.A. and only reviews wines made from the three red-skinned grape varie- ties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. 76 wine judges from around the world made up the judging panels of this year's 13th edition of the competition and between them they evaluated 256 samples produced in 23 differ- ent countries. The tasting is governed by the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). Only 30% of the samples submitted can be awarded a medal and to win a Gold medal the wines must be awarded between 85 to 100 points. The Premio Della Stampa (Press Prize) is a special award commended by a special commission of wine journalists to a country's highest scoring Gold medal winning wine. Besides the iconic Gran Cavalier Merlot, Del- icata also crafts other commended white, red and rosé boutique wines that regularly receive critical acclaim, namely in their Frizzante, Pjazza Reġina, Medina, Victoria Heights and Grand Vin de Hauteville ranges. The latest medal and press prize now bring Delicata's total international wine award count up to 121 awards. A quarter of these awards were won in the last four years, all under the direct stewardship of Matthew Delicata, the winery's chief winemaker. Gran Cavalier Merlot 2016 has been awarded a Gold medal and the Premio Della Stampa at the 2017 Emozioni dal Mondo Merlot e Cabernet Insieme International Foster Care Organisations' 2017 World Conference organised in Malta The President's Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society partnered with the International Foster Care Organi- sation to organise the International Foster Care Organisations' 2017 World Conference. The theme of the confer- ence, "Setting Sail from a Safe Port: Giving our children confidence to move forward with safe and permanent relationships", is based on the holistic understanding that every person has a role in protecting children and promot- ing their wellbeing. ''As a company we are honoured to sup- port such a prestigious conference or- ganised by a local and an international organisation who carry out noble work for the wellbeing of children and society at large. GSD Marketing Ltd believes in the importance of social corporate re- sponsibility and the positive impact such initiatives have on society as a whole'' said George Douglas Saliba, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at GSD Mar- keting Ltd. The four-day conference focused on best practices, informed policies, and children's rights. Some of the conference sub-themes included: child protection systems and deinstitutionalisation re- form; meeting the needs of children due to migration; formal and informal educa- tional outcomes for children during care and for care leavers. Chef Bruno Barbieri back in Malta Internationally acclaimed chef Bru- no Barbieri was back in Malta almost a year to the day after his last visit to endorse the Italian artisanal food shop UpperFood. Here on another flying visit, Chef Barbieri this time also met with local dignitaries and Italian producers at a series of events entitled UPPERITIVO. Barbieri, who hails from one of Ita- ly's gastronomical capitals, Bologna, has received seven Michelin stars over the years and is one of the main judges on Italy's Master Chef. The ethos behind UPPERFOOD was to bring back that small food store, the quintessential part of any village core, providing artisan high quality Italian products at reasonable prices and in season. The recurring theme is that of quality and season- ality, one that Bruno Barbieri whole- heartedly supports and is keen to get behind. He is also keen to create a stronger synergy between Maltese and Italian cooks and chefs and is brimming with ideas and enthusiasm to establish a stronger working rela- tionship between the two cuisines. "Over the past year UpperFood has slowly established itself as the go to place for good quality Italian food. Barbieri's seal of approval confirms the authenticity of what we set out to created and this first year has shown us that there is scope and oppor- tunity to take this so much further together with the Maltese and Bar- bieri." All products are conceived, pro- duced and packed in Italy with Fab- rizio spending much of his time es- tablishing relationships with Italian producers and scouring his home- land from top to bottom to source the best artisan food and wines which continue to give Italy its front- line position as purveyors of quality food. This year UpperFoods is also offering bespoke hampers and gift boxes just in time for Christmas so make sure you make a pitstop for an aperitivo and some retail therapy this winter.