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17 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 JULY 2018 Marsovin's Marnisi becomes the first premium Maltese wine to be certified 'Organic' MARSOVIN'S Marnisi has become the first premium Maltese wine in the premium wine category to be certified organic and awarded the official seal of 'Organic Wine'. This news was an- nounced by winery CEO and fourth generation family member Jeremy Cas- sar at an exclusive tasting event held for the press at the Marsovin Cellars. Speaking about the process that went into achieving this milestone, Cassar said: "We are very proud to be the first Maltese winery to suc- cessfully produce a premium organic wine. Although, MARNISI already enjoys popularity among the Mal- tese, we felt that converting to 'or- ganic' status would further increase the selection of wine available to wine lovers on the island, and fur- ther add value to the Maltese wine industry." The Certification Process Cassar went on to explain the chal- lenges of the rigorous three-year organic certification process that Marsovin embarked on for this pro- ject. It followed strict EU legislation standards and criteria, with samples being periodically tested in German laboratories contracted by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority – the European Union's recognised local control authority for organic certification in collabora- tion with the government's agricul- ture directorate. The organic conversion process be- gan with the application of organic farming practices at the Marnisi Es- tate in Marsaxlokk, where an area covering 2.8 hectares makes this the largest expanse of organically- farmed vines anywhere in Malta. In order to have organically-grown grapes, Marsovin's viticulturists en- gaged in an entirely different set of practices to maintain their vines. Following the successful vineyard conversion period, the harvested grapes were transferred to the win- ery, where an alternative winemak- ing approach was employed to focus on the use of a specific list of ingre- dients used for organic vinification. As a result of all this, MARNISI 2016 is now the first officially-cer- tified Maltese wine launched locally for market sale as 'organic wine'. The Wine The 2016 vintage was characterised by warmer-than-normal tempera- tures and drier weather during the winter months, followed by relatively mild temperatures throughout sum- mer. These elements allowed for very good grape maturity and, thus, an exceptional vintage year. The result- ant wine, MARNISI 2016, portrays a concentrated, complex and layered wine that is very approachable in its infancy and will keep drinking well in the years to come. Novel EU study system EDU for human medicine approved DURING a ceremony hosted by Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education and Labor of the Republic of Malta, Digital Educations Holdings Ltd. has been licensed by the Maltese authorities as an 'Institution of Higher Education'. In parallel, DEH's 'Bachelor of Medicine' was accredited by the National Commission for Further and Higher Edu- cation within the European Qualifications Framework. For the medical degree pro- gramme beginning in No- vember 2018, applications are now open at EDU, DEH's academic platform. EDU combines hands-on practical training with digi- tally supported instruction formats in a student- centric approach to adaptive learn- ing. The medical degree pro- gram consists of a three-year Bachelor that will be followed by a consecutive two-year Master's degree in human medicine. Comprising a to- tal of at least 5,500 hours of combined theoretical edu- cation and practical clinical training, its certification of at least 300 ECTS fully complies with the relevant European requirements. The theoretical subjects are covered by high-quality digital content available to students in a virtual learn- ing environment, where teams solve tasks of increas- ing complexity and receive individual feedback from dedicated tutors. These theo- retical foundations are im- mediately linked to medical practice during the clinical training that students attend in small groups at high-qual- ity teaching hospitals. Clini- cal partner at launch of the 'Bachelor of Medicine' are Helios Kliniken GmbH, one of the largest providers of in- patient and outpatient care in Europe. Currently, EDU's teaching hospitals are located in Germany, among others in Berlin, Erfurt, Krefeld, Ober- hausen and Wiesbaden. Hos- pitals in other EU and African countries will follow soon. Visit www.medical.edu.eu for more information about degree programmes offered by EDU. Prospective students will find comprehensive in- formation on content and structure of the "Bachelor of Medicine" and may submit an online application starting today. Angelo Xuereb represents Malta at EY World Entrepreneur of the Year ANGELO Xuereb, AX hold- ings Chairman and winner of the 2nd edition of EY Entre- preneur of the Year, travelled with EY Malta's top team to Monaco to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The event brings together the world's leading entrepreneurs - national win- ners from more than 60 coun- tries, selected from a pool of over 5,000 nominees. EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, with programs in 145 cities in 60 countries. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was launched in the US in 1986 and has now spread to 165 cities in over 60 countries. Brazilian Rubens Menin was crowned EY World Entrepre- neur 2018 in recognition of his role in building a better working world. Menin's build- ing company constructed over 320,000 houses and apart- ments in Brazil, granting over one million people the oppor- tunity to realise their dream of owning their own home. Mark Weinberger, Global EY Global Chairman and CEO said, "The journey of the winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year may be vastly dif- ferent, but the most success- ful entrepreneurs have one thing in common: they don't get distracted by short-term pressures. Instead, they lock into a long-term strategic vi- sion, and then they follow through. All over the world, entrepreneurs like this are leading the way into the fu- ture." Angelo Xuereb was the win- ner for the EY Malta Entre- preneur of the Year while Shane Hunter from AquaBio- Tech Group won this year's EY Malta's Rising Star award. AngeloXuereb said, "Since my childhood I wanted to be an entrepreneur, a success- ful entrepreneur, and so this recognition from the busi- ness community is a great honour."